Nagoya Mew Mew
by Marvel Maiden Squalls
Summary: A new evil is threatening Earth, in search of an ancient artifact, and Wesley and Eliot have relocated to Nagoya, Japan to find more Mews. So far 6 mews have been found, how much longer until they find the rest?
1. Chapter 1: A Mew Look

_AN: Finally! Chapter 1 is done! Thanks for being ever so patient. I hope you enjoy it. Review to let me know what you think._

Chapter 1: A Mew Look

"Very well done," Mrs. Suesic praised, clapping her hands together. Aneeta bowed to the class, and took her seat at the front of the class.

"Now that's how you present a speech," She continued, moving to the center of the front black board. "Aneeta was able to capture you with her first sentence, and held it to the very end. I saw it, and don't try to deny it. She delivers with such passion and authority. I'm so proud of you Aneeta." She only nodded in response, making her black bangs sway. The rest of her hair was up in a high ponytail.

Aneeta Rolls. Honour student, and most respected back at Judina Middle School, and carries that same reputation at Yokota Secondary. She had the highest grades in all of her classes, and was an amazing public speaker, taking her to competitions across the country. Not only was she great in academics, she was great in athletics. She enjoyed playing soccer the most, and was on a travel team, but she also enjoyed playing basketball. The only problem, was her lack of friends.

Sure she had students who came up to talk to her once and a while, but she didn't have any real friends. One reason was because she wasn't a people person. She was shy, and became awkward around fellow students. The complete opposite of how she was saying speeches. She was comfortable when it came to being professional, but being recreational with others was too much for her. It also made it hard, since she didn't know how to make friends. She also never had a boyfriend before. Sure she'd been asked out a couple times, okay try almost a dozen, but she always turned them down. Again, because she wasn't comfortable being with others.

She tried her best not to let the other students know about her insecurities, and kept herself composed, and collected, as she always was delivering a speech. She was looked up to, and respected by everyone, students and teachers. If she didn't act like this anymore, she was afraid she'd lose that. So she put aside self-conscious, and not liked Aneeta, and allowed poised, and liked Aneeta to take command.

Putting her books into her bag, she closed her locker and turned to exit the school when Mrs. Suesic approached her.

"Hello Aneeta," She smiled warmly.

"Hi," Aneeta smiled in return. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you'd be interested in being a tutor," She explained. "Their's a tutor program starting at Leaflet Elementary, and they asked Secondary schools to select a few students to help with the program. And of course, I came to you. Our best student." Aneeta beamed at the words "best student".

"Of course I'd like to, just as long as it doesn't interfere with soccer," she nodded.

"It'll be every Tuesday and Thursday after school for an hour," Mrs. Suesic continued. "You'll go there right after to tutor your student where they need help the most. If its successful, they'll have it again next year."

"Okay," She agreed. "Soccer is Wednesday, and weekends, so that'll work out for me."

"Excellent," Mrs. Suesic cheered, getting a little too excited. "I'll right you down then for the program. The first session is tomorrow. Do you know how to get there?"

"Yup, my brother goes there."

"Perfect, I'm so glad you accepted," Mrs. Suesic sighed, as if a load was taken off her shoulders. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," Aneeta nodded. "Have a nice day Mrs. Suesic."

"You too dear," She smiled, leaving her.

Aneeta stepped outside, out in the blazing heat. It was hard to believe she was at school again. The summer break had only ended a few weeks ago, but they were still getting pretty nice weather. Her skin was still tanned from the break. A warm breeze picked up Aneeta's hair as she made her way down the street. She'd lived her in Nagoya all her life with her parents and her younger brother. Her parents never had to worry much about her academics, or her well bring, but it was her brother that caused them a lot of trouble. He was always getting mixed up in mischief, but hey, that's what little brothers were for right?

She didn't get very far when she began to feel very woozy. Putting a hand to her forehead, she swayed, and nearly lost her footing. Not wanting to gain attention, she staggered to a nearby bench, and parker herself there, until she felt better. She put her head in her hands, and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt like she was gonna faint.

"Are you okay Aneeta?" A male voice asked

"My head just hurts," She replied not looking up. "I'll be okay."

"You..." His voice trailed off, and she blacked out.

\NMM/

"Are you okay Miss Rolls?" A sweet voice asked. Aneeta breathed in the smell of the infirmary. That extra clean smell that made her bones chill sometimes. It was scary how a place could be so clean. With clear cabinets of various medicine, and doctor utensils. Infirmary?! Aneeta's eyes flew open, and sure enough she was partially hidden by a hanging sheet. The school's nurse was staring at her with her wide bright eyes, through her tiny glasses.

"Can you sit up?" She asked.

"I think," she grunted, pushing herself upright. "How'd I get here?"

"You brought in by Jeremy Dowy," the nurse smiled. "He said you fainted on a bench."

"Jeremy?" Aneeta blushed slightly, looking down at the plain white sheets that covered her. Jeremy Dowy was the captain of the school's baseball team, and a member of the kendo team. He was also one of the boys she had turned down. He'd asked her to go the fair with her last year. She told him that she was busy that day, but later on saw him there when her parents had surprised her and her brother by taking them to the fair. She tried to keep him from seeing her, but he did, and he looked hurt.

"Yup," she nodded, putting a hand to her forehead. "How do you feel?"

"Okay," she blinked rapidly. "My head doesn't hurt anymore."

"Maybe one of your parents could pick you up," the nurse suggested, walking towards the phone.

"No, that's okay." she jumped from the bed and plastered a grin to her face. "I'm alright. Maybe I'm just pushing myself a little too hard. With school and sports and everything. I'll go to bed early tonight." The nurse gave her a questioning look, pursing her lips and cocking her eyebrow.

"Really I'm okay," she assured.

"I could walk her home to make sure," Jeremy's voice came from near the door. Aneeta sucked in a startled breath. She couldn't believe he was still there. She was too anxious to look around the curtain at him.

"That would make me feel better," the nurse nodded.

"I'll be fine," she insisted. "I have to go pick up my brother anyways."

"It's no trouble at all," Jeremy shrugged, stepping into view. "I live by the elementary school." He was taller then she was by a full foot. His hair was a rich brown, that showed a hint of gold under the lights, and his eyes were a deep shade of blue.

"Well then its settled," the nurse sighed, clasping her hands. She raised her hand when Aneeta opened her mouth to protest. "No arguing. Nurse's orders. I don't want you fainting in the middle of the street and getting hit by a car or something." Aneeta nodded, and retrieved her bag from the foot of the bed.

"Thank you," she told the nurse as she followed Jeremy out of the infirmary.

"You're welcome,"she smiled. "Be safe now." Aneeta walked uncomfortably beside Jeremy through the school, and didn't try saying anything until they were outside.

"Thanks for taking me in there," she smiled, but kept her eyes forward.

"Your welcome," he answered nonchalantly. They made their way down the street at an average pace, but Aneeta felt awkward, and held tightly onto the strap of her bag.

"You don't have to walk with me," she finally said.

"I live this way," he shrugged. "And the nurse said it was best you didn't walk alone."

"But I feel better then I did earlier," she said, then tilted her head. "How long was I out?"

"About fifteen minutes," Jeremy answered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. Aneeta nodded, and didn't expect him to carry on.

"So how was your summer?" he asked.

"Um, not bad," she answered, trying to not to stutter. "My soccer team won a couple tournaments. We're in the semi-finals of the play-offs right now. If we win we're going to the finals."

"When's the game?" he asked, still not looking down at her.

"Sometime next week I think,"she shrugged.

"In the park I'm guessing?"

"Yeah," she nodded. _He's not planning to come is he?_, she thought.

"What about you?" Aneeta turned the questions on him, wanting to get away from the thought. "What did you do?"

"Not much," he replied. "Hung out with friends. Went swimming at my uncle's." She nodded slightly, and they were followed by silence.

The streets they took weren't as lively as the main roads, but they had the occasion civilian that didn't allow laziness to keep them from walking. Cars zoomed by every so often, but they were always with the sound of the blowing wind, and rustling trees. Leaflet Elementary was a surprisingly small school. It wasn't big an elaborate like the others, but its small size kept classes smaller, so each student could get more personal attention with learning.

"I'll be fine from here," Aneeta smiled, shyly. "If I was going to faint I would have by now."

"I guess I can leave you then," Jeremy nodded. "Take care."

"Bye." Aneeta raised her hand slightly as he walked away.

"Aneeta!" A little boy cried joyfully. Aneeta turned to the school with a smile as her eight year old brother, Jay, bounded towards her. His shaggy black hair was all over the place, and he flailed his arms around as he ran to her.

"Guess what?" he grinned widely.

"What?" she asked, looking down at him in amusement.

"I'm going to be getting a tutor!" he cheered, overexcited.

"Do you know what it means?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Nope," he admitted shamelessly. "But I know it means kid from the high school will be buddies with me."

"I'm gonna be one of the High School students that's coming here for the tutor program," Aneeta smiled, walking him down the street.

"Really?" he asked, looking at her with wide eyes. "No offense, but I hope I get a guy."

"None taken," she laughed. "I hope I get a girl to tutor."

"What does a tutor even do?" Jay asked.

"They help you with your school work," She explained with a smile. "They help you understand it, and teach you some new things."

"That's sounds boring," he pouted, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Hey! maybe they could teach me some things about video games!"

"I highly doubt that," she smiled, placing a hand on his head.

\NMM/

"How was school?" Their mom, Georgia asked when they all were finally settled down at the table. Changed in more comfortable clothing, Aneeta had cooked dinner after she finished her homework. Their dad, Denis, had been home working on his latest commercial, and her brother had went to play some video games. Georgia had gotten home a few minutes ago from the office. She worked for magazine called _Glamly_, that advertised todays hottest things. Not just for fashion or music, but also the hippest ways to eat healthy, and stay fit. Aneeta insisted that they waited for her, and her father and brother didn't hesitate to dig in once they were all settled down.

"Good!" Jay replied through a mouthful of noodles.

"It was okay," Aneeta nodded in agreement. "Mrs. Suesic asked me to participate in a tutoring program at Jay's school."

"Yeah, and I'm getting a tutor!" he grinned, all too proud.

"You're not paying attention in class are you?" Georgia narrowed her eyes at him disapprovingly.

"The teacher makes things so boring," he complained, pouting. "School needs to be more fun."

"Not everything is suppose to be fun," Denis said, filling his mouth with noodles.

"Well school should be," Jay frowned.

"Does the tutoring fit in with your schedule?" Georgia asked looking at Aneeta,concerned.

"Yup," she nodded with a smiled. "It's Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"That's good," Georgia smiled back. "But make sure you don't fill your plate too much. You may not be able to cary it all."

"I'll be okay," she assured.

There wasn't anything else to do. She liked being busy. Since she didn't have friends, she filled her time with activities to keep herself busy. Everyday she went jogging to keep herself in shape, and would randomly bring a ball with her to practice in the park. She'd also weave other activities, such as cooking, knitting, and reading into her routine. Yes, her life seemed boring, but it was what she was use to.

They finished their dinner in silence, and Jay ran to the T.V. as soon as he was done. Her father went back to working, and her mother went to her office to work on a new layout. Aneeta washed their dishes, then went to read for an hour before heading out for her run.

She put on a pair of comfortable shorts, and a simple t-shirt. She kept her hair up in a ponytail, but retied it to make sure it stayed. Sitting on her bed, Aneeta was changing her socks when she noticed something. There was a mark on her foot. On the heel of her foot was a pink jagged-wing.

"That's weird," she whispered, running her finger over the mark. "When did that get there?" She tried rubbing it off, thinking it was just dirt, but it fade.

"It's too distinct to be a birth mark," she said, looking closer. "I don't own any tattoos." Aneeta shrugged, and put on her sock, but thought about it her entire run.

\NMM/

Aneeta shivered with excitement as she made her way to Leaflet Elementary. She couldn't wait to meet the student she would be tutoring. She had barely made it through the day without it sweeping through her mind a few times a class. She skipped up the steps and breezed through the front doors.

She was immediately greeted by the sounds of anxious children from the classrooms as they waited for the bell to ring. The walls were filled with colorful bulletin boards, covered with art work by the students. Aneeta took an immediate turn which brought her into the main office. The atmosphere in here seemed the same as the rest of the school, but it was much more quiet. There was a small lady sitting at a deck, which had a computer and many files open on it.

"Hello Mrs. Flell," Aneeta greeted with a big smile. The lady looked up, brushing stray grey hairs from her face.

"Oh, hello Aneeta," she smiled back. "What can I do for you today?"

"I'm here for the tutoring program," Aneeta said, adjusting her bag strap.

"Oh, yes," Mrs. Flell nodded, closing up a folder and opening another. "I thought I saw your name on the list. Yup, here you are. They're all ready and waiting for you in room 110. Here's your name tag. The students already know the names of their tutors." She handed her a rectangular piece of pink paper with her name printed in big black bold letters. She pinned it to her shirt without hesitation.

"Thanks," Aneeta dipped her head respectfully. "Have a nice afternoon."

"You too dear, and good luck," Mrs. Flell waved as she left the room. The bell rang as Aneeta stepped out, then students came flooding out of the classroom. Aneeta giggled, as she weaved her way through the stampede of kids. She made her way down the next hallway. On the way she greeted teachers she knew and had when she went here.

She finally made it to 110, and stepped inside. There were round tables scattered around the room, with at least two elementary students per table. Some already had their tutors sitting with them ,and they were making introductions.

"Hey Aneeta!" Jay waved at her from across the room. She smiled and waved back, and almost gasped when she saw Jeremy sitting next to him. _Mrs. Suesic must have asked him too_, she thought.

"You're Aneeta Rolls?" Aneeta looked down at the little girl that now stood in front of her.

"Yes I am," she nodded. "And you are?"

"I'm your tutoring partner," she grinned. "My name is Kita Nakamura." Kita had super short, dark brown hair that only reached her ears, but her bangs, that were parted, reached her waist.

"It's very nice to meet you," Aneeta held out her hand, and Kita shook it.

"I'm sitting over here," Kita didn't hesitate to drag her to a table in the corner. "So tell me about yourself."

"Well," Aneeta began seating herself in the tinny chair. "I'm in grade 10. I go to Yokota Secondary. I'm on a travel soccer team, and I also enjoy playing basketball..."

"That's cool!" Kita beamed cutting her off. Aneeta then noticed that one of her eyes were blue, the other silver.

"Now about me," she grinned. "I love music! I absolutely love it. I've been playing piano since 6, and I've been playing guitar since 7. I'm really good at both. I can also sing. I sing at every assembly. I also love to draw. I love drawing my own little Manga characters. They're so cute. See?" She pulled a sketch pad out of no where,and quickly flipped through the pages. Aneeta barely had a glimpse at each, but she had to admit they were good.

"I'm also obsessed with Fanfiction!" She continued, her talking speed not slowing down. "I have over 100 hundred stories on there. I'm always writing, or playing music, or drawing. I'm always occupied doing something. I want to be an author/musician/Mangaka." Aneeta was staring at her blankly when she finally finished.

"Are you okay?" Kita waved her hand in her face.

"You sure are full of energy," she finally spoke.

"Yup," she nodded shamelessly. "The teachers are constantly tell me to settle down, but I can't. So I was thinking for this tutoring thing we should do some fun stuff. Like, I could teach you how to play piano or something."

"But, I'm suppose to be teaching you," Aneeta protested.

"Yeah, but I hate learning," Kita sighed stretching her arms. "It's boring. Now music is fun to learn. There's scales, and rhythms, and notes. You probably don't know anything about this stuff do you?"

"Well, no because-"

"So I should teach you about them," Kita shouted. "That way we can both be happy." Aneeta slouched in her seat. _This is going to be tough_, she thought.

"Are you behaving Kita?" A male teacher had walked up to them. He wore a pair of round glasses, and a formal suit. His hair was blonde, and held in a small ponytail.

"Of course Mr. Zing," she grinned.

"Did you give her the sheet?" he asked cocking an eyebrow. Kita pouted and slouched.

"No," she replied.

"Well she needs that sheet in order to help you," he said. Kita sighed, then bent over her backpack and pulled out a piece of paper.

"It's just a small summary about her, and what she needs help in," Mr. Zing explained as Kita reluctantly handed her the sheet.

"Oh, okay," she nodded. This will make things a lot easier, she thought.

"Well, good luck then," he smiled at them before moving onto another table.

"You don't have to follow that you know," Kita said looking bored. "It just tells you what you _should_ do, not what you have to do."

"Well I am one for following instructions," Aneeta said looking over the paper. She needed help in math, science and geography. _Easy things to teach_, she told herself. _That is if the student is willing to learn._ She looked up from the paper to Kita, who was staring off into space, absentmindedly scratching her wrist. Aneeta gasped when she saw a pink mark on her wrist.

"What is that?" She whispered, taking her hand, and almost pulling her over the table. She held her arm upright and squinted at it. She could make out a paw print shape.

"Um, its not a tattoo if that's what you think," Kita hurriedly answered.

"Of course it isn't," Aneeta sighed. "But when did you get it?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I got it yesterday. It appeared out of nowhere after I fainted."

"You fainted?" Aneeta's eyes widen shock.

"Yeah, sometime before my last class was over," she nodded. "It just appeared there."

"I fainted yesterday too," Aneeta spoke, lowering her voice.

"You did?" Kita cocked an eyebrow, but she looked as if she was catching on.

"Yeah, and I found a strange mark on me too," she continued. "It's on my foot."

"No way," Kita gapped. "You think it means something? Like some serial attack? Maybe it was food poisoning? What did you eat yesterday? Did you have chicken? Cause I did."

"No I had noodles," she sighed shaking her head. "I'm not sure what it could be. But it mean something."

"I say we need to crack this case," Kita shouted a little too excited, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"She's just excited," Aneeta grinned at everyone, then brought her voice down again. "You can't tell anyone."

"Why not?" Kita pouted. "This could be big. We should call a secret service or something."

"We can't call anyone, 'cause they'll think we're crazy," Aneeta groaned. "We just need to keep this to ourselves."

"Then what do we do?" she asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Right now, I'm gonna start with helping you with some math," Aneeta grinned.

"Aw!"

\NMM/

"Are you sure it's here?" asked a woman with short green hair that curled under her jagged ears. Her skin was a tanned, and a long green robe was wrapped neatly around her seemingly fragile body, touching the floor. The sleeves were vary large, and it seemed her arms were drowning in them. She wasn't just an ordinary girl. She was from a distant galaxy, a far away planet. She was part of an advanced species of humans. The Denans. Her features were much different then that of a normal human. She was of a taller stature, her pupils were like that of a cat, and fingers were lengthy.

"Yes Dlender," a man nodded standing beside her. "I can feel it." He was just as lean and lengthy as she was. His hair was a royal blue, and flowed down his back. His lighter blue robe was wrapped tightly around him, and reached the floor as well. They were gazing into a window of magic she had conjured, and it was showing them the planet Earth.

"After centuries of searching," she sighed. "It's on this pathetic little planet."

"It shouldn't be too hard to find," he nodded. "Humans have no powers to fight against us with."

"Can I go looking first?" a girl's voice asked from behind them. They turned to the little girl that stood before them. Her dark pink hair was in two ponytails that rested on her shoulders. Her robe was a lighter pink, and it only reached her knees, and the sleeves were tighter. Her legs were covered with medium pink pants.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Dlender asked, looking at her questioningly.

"Of course," she nodded. "I can handle a bunch powerless humans."

"Then take care," the man said, granting her her request.

"Thank you," she smiled, bowing respectfully.

\NMM/

"Eliot, I've found one!" Wesley called from down in the basement. Eliot dropped the new menus they he had just received, and booked it down the stairs, jumping over the last few.

"Where?" he asked, breathing a little heavy.

"They're actually walking this way," Wesley explained, typing away at the keyboard.

"They?"

"Yes," he nodded. "There are two of them." Two red dots blinked on a zoomed in map of Nagoya. Wesley made the computer zoom in even farther and there were two girls and a boy walking down the street. The first girl was older, and looked to be in High School. He did a scan on her, and her DNA was mixed with one of the animals they sent out.

"She's one of our girls," Wesley smiled satisfied. "Aneeta Rolls."

"And the other?" Eliot asked, leaning over his shoulder. The other little girl looked younger then the other girl, but older then the little boy she was talking with. Her DNA was too mixed with one of the animals.

"Yup," Wesley nodded. "She is too. Kita Nakamura." A sudden alarm went off, causing a red light to flash above them.

"What's that?" Eliot demanded. Wesley typed away like a maniac, and a blue dot had appeared on the map, heading towards the two red.

"Its one of the aliens," Welsey said, taking a scan of the creature. Eliot was gone before he said anything else.

\NMM/

"Thanks again for walking me home again," Kita smiled up at Aneeta. "You didn't have to."

"Well what else was I gonna do?" Aneeta rolled her eyes at her. "We live in this general direction anyways."

"Yeah, we live that way," Jay said, pointing perpendicular to the direction they were walking in.

"My house isn't that much farther, so no worries," Kita nodded. Kita's mom had called saying she wouldn't be able to pick her up since she had to go take care of some errands. Aneeta happily offered to take her home. Her parents weren't really ready to let her walk home by herself, even though Kita feels she's old enough. Aneeta's attention was then caught by a pink building they were passing. The sign read "Cafe Mew Chi Lou". It was red and pink with heart shaped windows, and looked like something out of a fairy tale.

"They just finished building that last week," Kita explained, when she saw Aneeta staring at it. "I hope it opens soon. I wanna try all of their deserts!"

"Me too!" Jay cheered.

"You don't need anymore sugar," Aneeta sighed. Aneeta was hit with a sudden anxious feeling, and stopped dead.

"Aneeta?" Jay looked up at her worriedly.

"There's something coming," She whispered.

"And I don't think its friendly," Kita nodded, looking up at her with scared eyes. "I felt it too."

"Felt what?" Jay demanded, feeling out of the loop. Aneeta stared on ahead of them, and watched the empty street. It was quiet. A scary quiet. They began walking again, but much slower, and more cautious. The air was then split bye an ear piercing screech. A giant mutated bird burst from a bunch of trees that we behind the cafe. It's colors were contradicting, the wings were torn-looking, but still carried its massive body, its talons were crooked but sharp, and its beak looked like it was chipped from age.

"What's THAT?" Jay was the first of them to speak. The bird answered with another piercing call, then swooped towards down at them.

"Look out!" Aneeta gasped, grabbing Jay and running with Kita at her side. Aneeta looked over her shoulder, to see the birds closing in, so she shove Kita one way, and she dove the other, just in time to miss its talons.

"That hurt!" Kita complained getting up. The bird made a turnabout, ready to attack again.

"I'll distract it," Aneeta said, putting Jay down. "Go! Run!" Jay immediately ran down the street, taking care to keep under the trees.

"Over here you over grown buzzard!" Kita cried throwing a stick at it.

"No Kita, run!" Aneeta ordered dropping her bag. The bird ignored Aneeta, and made a swooping dive at Kita.

"No!" Aneeta shouted, running at her. She came into the bird's view again, and the bird changed its direction at the last second. Aneeta gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to feel the talons pierce her skin. But she didn't. Instead she felt herself being moved at a fast speed. She opened her eyes again, and found herself sitting under a tree.

"Stay here for a second." A blonde boy was standing over her, looking down at her with narrowed blue eyes. She only stared back.

"Ah!"

"Kita!" Aneeta shouted, getting to her feet.

"Stay here!" The boy ordered, and then he was gone. Aneeta blinked in confusion and saw Kita running away from the bird was closing in on her.

"Watch out!" Aneeta screamed, here eyes filled with tears just as the bird was about to grab her, but then she was gone.

"What?" she whispered.

"Aneeta!" She was tackled from behind, but managed to stay on her feet.

"Kita!" She gasped. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm okay."

"You guys need to fight that thing." The blonde boy stepped up to them.

"Fight it?" Aneeta stared at him in disbelief. "How can you expect us to fight that thing when it can shish kabob us!"

"Trust me, you can fight him Aneeta," he said.

"How do you know my name?" She demanded.

"Well I did just say it," Kita said. "But how are we suppose to fight it?"

"With these," He handed them each a pendent. Looking down at the tiny pendent, she felt something stirred inside something was trying to break out, show its true self. She heard the sound of flapping wings, but it wasn't the harsh slow beats of the mutated bird, but quick light flaps. This made her heart flutter as well. She didn't even realize what she was doing until she had already done it.

"Mew Mew Plum! Mewtamorphosis!" Kissing her pendent, she was surrounded by bright purple lights, as her clothes melted away. A strong wind came out of nowhere ,blowing her hair loose of its elastic and making it very dark shade of purple. Being carried in the wind, she twirled lifting her hands into the air, and a dark purple sleeveless leotard collected around her body. Dark purple arm bands, trimmed with black, shaped around her upper arms as she held them out, and long sleeves extended from them. She did a back flip, landing on her hands, and a long train extended from her lower back as she did. She kicked out each foot, and dark purple ankle boots appeared on each foot, as well as a garter trimmed with black on her right leg. She pushed off her hands and landed on her feet again, and found herself under a full moon. She gazed up in amazement as her eyes darkened to purple. Spreading her arms out again, a giant pair of bat wings extended with her from her back, and a pair of bat ears popped out from the top of her head. She flapped her wings once lifting her into the air. Her pendent appeared around her neck, and she struck her final pose in front of the full moon.

"Whoa!" Aneeta gasped, taking a step back. "Wha-?" She did all the moving, yet she was still in the same spot.

"Cool!" Kita grinned.

"Mew Mew Licorice! Mewtamorphosis!" Giving her pendent a big smack, red lights surrounded Kita as she jumped happily into the air, with her clothes gone. She was then surrounded by color sweets and candies. She jumped around happily, and twirled on top of lollipop as red licorice peels wrapped around her body, forming a blood red halter top attached to a mini skirt that flared out. She jumped down, and jump across some colourful jujubes. Knee-high black boots with red and blood red laces appeared in mind-stride, along with a red garter trimmed with blood red. Chocolate chips started to dance around her, so she couldn't help but join in, clapping her hands to the imaginary beat of their dance. As she did, black and red licorice wrapped around her waist, arms and wrists, forming a black belt with a rub in the middle, red-laced, black fingerless gloves, and red arm bands, trimmed with blood red. The chips then flew away, with Kita in close pursuit, leading her through a chocolate waterfall. When she immerged through the other side her hair was completely red. She caught a giant cherry that had fallen from the sky, and took a bite out of it, making a pair of roundish black ears with white insides pop from her head, as well as short whitish tale with a black tip extended from her behind. She through the cherry up again, and her eyes were now red. She took one final leap and landed on a long stick of licorice, striking her final pose.

"Sweet!" Kita giggled. "I look so cute!"

"What is this all about?" Aneeta demanded.

"It's what you need to defeat him," the blonde nodded towards the giant bird that was now perched in the tree above them.

"AH!" The girls screamed, running away from the tree.

"Quite fooling around and attack it!" the blonde shouted angrily at them.

"How?" Kita panicked, barely keeping up with Aneeta as they ran down the street, with the bird on their tail.

"Believe what your instincts are tell you!" he shouted. "Listen to your heart."

"That sounds kinda corny," Aneeta managed to giggle, so only Kita heard her. "But I think I know what he means." Aneeta stopped, and spun around to face the bird, holding her hands out in front of her.

"Jingle Chuck!" A black nun chuck with golden bells attached to pink and white striped a string on both ends appeared in her hands. The bells were shaped like cones, with black gems on them. She then twirl it fast as she could, causing the bells to jingle in a rhythmic pattern. By doing this, she created a shield of swirling wind in front of her, causing the bird to back off, shaking its head from side to side in confusion.

"I wanna try!" Kita grinned. "Glitter Brush!" A pale paint brush that was big enough to be held with two hands came tumbling from a cloud of glitter that had appeared above Kita. She caught it and held it above her head. The tip of the brush was made of a multitude of colors. Three jewels were located under the bow, one diamond, one ruby and one sapphire. There was a red ribbon around it with a diamond heart in the middle.

"On three?" Kita asked. Aneeta nodded, letting the shield go.

"LICORICE..!" Kita shouted, swinging her brush to the side. "RIBBON..!" She then spun it in her hands in front of her, and color streaks began to trail after it. "PAINT BLAST!" She locked it next to her side, and held on as a burst of colors erupted from its tip.

"PLUM...! " She grabbed both handles of the nun chuck, and pulled them apart, stretching the chain that linked them. "NIGHT..!" She whipped one end into the air, and twirled it around. "PIERCE!" Whipping her nun chuck in the bird's direction, it immediately straightened out, piercing the bird right in the center of the chest. The attacks combined, caused the bird to wither, and fall to the ground in defeat. Before it even touched the ground, it disintegrated into nothing. The girls stood their in amazement, staring at the spot where the bird would have fallen to.

"Nice job," the boy congratulated, breaking the silence.

"That was so cool!" Kita agreed, her paint brush gone, and leaping toward Aneeta. "We beat it!"

"What..." Her voice trailed off, and looked at the boy. "What was that?"

"An alien," he said simply.

"An alien?" Kita repeated in disbelief. "No way!"

"You saw it for yourself didn't you?" he shrugged. "If that's not proof enough then I don't know what is."

"That was an alien?!"

"Jay!" Aneeta gasped, turning to see her brother just down the street. "I though I told you to go!"

"I did!" he answered, running back. "But I didn't go too far, 'cause I was worried about you. I thought it was gonna eat you!"

"I'm fine," Aneeta smiled, hugging him. "I'm just glad your safe."

"You three will have to come with me," the boy said, leading them to the Cafe.

"Why?" Kita asked, picking up her bag.

"Because I'm the reason you guys are like the way you are."

\NMM/

_Mew Intro Time!_

Introducing our first two Mews! Mew Plum, or Aneeta Rolls, which was my Mew OC, and Mew Licorice, Kita Nakamura, who was created by ANMProductions. Congratulations! I really liked Kita's character. She's energetic, and just plain funny. She's also very young, so I thought it would be perfect to bring her into the story as Aneeta tutoring partner. Their different personalities also make the story more enjoyable.

I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned to see if your Mew will show up. I'm still accepting Mew entries, so feel free to enter one. See ya next time.


	2. Chapter 2: The Third Mew

_Author's Note: I'm SO sorry for making you all wait for this update. My computer crashed, and I needed to restart my chapter all over again. I'm trying really hard to keep up in school, and I haven't had a lot of time because of projects. My goal is to get at least one chapter per month until summer comes. Yes I know its a while to wait, but school comes first. Thanks for understanding, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I couldn't come up with a good name for it. :P_

Chapter 2: The Third Mew

Rolling uncomfortably in her bed, Aneeta covered her head with her pillow. Ever since she had laid her self down to sleep, she'd been hearing things. More like hearing everything. Her ears had become super sensitive, and could hear a baby crying a few blocks down, and here a fly buzzing around in the house next door. Closing her eyes only made it worse. The sound waves hit off of her furniture, creating the images before her, as if she was using echolocation. Not having any luck, she rolled onto her back, and stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking about what had happened after the bird attack.

She, Jay, and Kita were seated at a table in the lobby, with the blonde boy leaning against the wall. He said that they had to wait for his friend, so the trio sat their anxiously awaiting. The tables were white and heart shaped, with matching chairs with pink cushions. The walls were red with hearts plaster everywhere, with a fancy chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," A man with long brown hair pulled in a ponytail came into the lobby with a try of cookies and a clipboard. "Snacks?" Kita snatched a few cookies before he even placed it on the table. Jay followed stuffing his face.

"Manners," Aneta hissed. He didn't even notice that she spoke.

"I'm Wesley J. Coolridge III," The brunette smiled, seating himself at their table.

"The III? That sounds fancy," Kita commented between her mouthful of cookie.

"It is," he smiled. "I see you've already met Eliot."

"Eliot?" Aneeta asked looking at the blondie.

"Yes, my partner for the Mew Project," he nodded.

"What's all this Mew stuff about?" Kita asked before shoving in another cookie.

"It's a project my father started," Eliot answered. "We finished it a few years ago, and we decided to relocate to continue with it."

"So we're no the firsts," Aneeta concluded, shaking her head when Kita offered her a cookie.

"Right," Wesley nodded in confirmations. "But you are the first in Nagoya."

"Obviously if you relocated here," Kita rolled her eyes.

"Kita," Aneeta snapped at her.

"What's a Mew anyways?" Kita continued, ignoring her.

"A Mew is someone who can have their DNA properly fused with an animal so that they can gain the abilities of that animal," Eliot explained. "Not everyone can be a Mew, so consider yourselves lucky."

"Lucky?" Aneeta gasped. "We were attacked by a monster!"

"And lucky enough you were a Mew Mew so you could fight back," he snapped, glaring at her. _How rude_, Aneeta thought.

"Is that what this means?" Kita showed them the paw print on her wrist.

"Yes, that's the mark of a Mew," Wesley nodded. "It'll make your search for the others easier."

"Others?" Aneeta asked cocking an eyebrow. "You mean there's more?"

"Yes, lot's more," he smiled. "I'm not sure how many though, but hopefully not too many."

"So you don't even know how many you created," Kita sighed rolling her eyes.

"You see, the computer randomly selected animals. I just put in the choices."

"What animal am I?" Aneeta asked.

"Obviously a bat," Kita pointed out.

"An Indian bat to be exacted," eliot corrected. "And you're fused with a black-footed ferret."

"Aw, how cute!" she cooed.

"So we were chosen because of how our DNA is," Aneeta said. "We don't get a lot of say in this do we?"

"Nope," Eliot answered shaking his head.

"One perk is getting to work here," Wesley announced perkily, spread his arms out. Aneeta looked around the room, taking in the surroundings even more.

"We get to work here?" Kita gasped. "Cool!"

"Is that even legal?" Aneeta questioned leaning forward. "Kita's only eleven. I'd say that would be child slavery"

"How is it slavery when she's not being forced against her will, and when she's being paid properly?" Eliot asked, looking angry.(Correction, he looked angrier then he already did.)

"I can do it!" Kita protested. "My said I should find away to get rid of all my extra energy, so maybe having a job would get rid of some of it." _Yeah, only SOME_, Aneeta said silently

"Let's talk about shifts then," Wesley suggested, before Eliot could say anymore. "When are you available?"

"I can work any day accept on the weekends," Kita smiled. "My family likes to do things on the weekend. You know, like go out to eat, play board games, but my sister..." Her eyes changed from soft and sparkly to dark and crazed. "She's evil I tell you! EVIL! She beats the crap out of me at _SORRY_! Even when I'm no where near her home she uses all her _SORRY!_ cards on me! It's not fair! Not-!"

"Kita!" Aneeta shouted, grabbing the little girl's shoulder, and shaking her to gain her sense. Kita blinked a few times and looked at each of them."

"I can work any day but Saturday and Sunday," she grinned, as if her little outburst never happened.

"And what about you Aneeta?" Wesley asked writing down Kita's information.

"Well...." Aneeta sighed fiddling with her thumbs. Her schedule was busy enough.

"Mondays and Fridays I have nothing, but Tuesdays and Thursdays I tutor Kita at her school, and Wednesday and weekends I have soccer," she listed, hoping she didn't forget anything.

"So Mondays and Fridays are a definite," Eliot said, rolling his eyes.

"How about Tuesdays and Thursdays you don't work," Wesley suggested. "You either Kita. That way you can focus on what Aneeta taught you that day."

"Okay," Kita pouted, sliding in her seat.

"I really don't feel like Wednesdays," Aneeta added. "Going from soccer to work will just be too tiring."

"Since we found you we were hoping to open tomorrow," Eliot said. "I don't feel like paying for this place right out of my pocket. You think you could endure one Wednesday?"

"I could work alone!" Kita grinned, shooting up in her seat.

"You shouldn't even be working at all,"Aneeta mumbled.

"I think its best you work when Aneeta can," Wesley smiled sweetly. "If you don't want to, we could just open on Friday."

"I guess I could handle one Wednesday," Aneeta shrugged. "As long as I only have to do it this week." Wesley nodded, taking a note of it. "Alright so this is what I have. We're closed Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Wednesdays besides tomorrow, Monday and Friday both you and Kita are working, and Saturday and Sunday you're working alone Aneeta. we'll set up the shifts so they're around your soccer and give you enough time to rest in between."

"Thanks," Aneeta smiled. She was really liking Wesley. Eliot however...

"Why should we go around their schedules?" Eliot huffed. "We're in charge of the Cafe."

"It'll get much easier once we find more Mews," Wesley spoke in their defense. "Not only do they have to worry about their daily life, but now they're battling an enemy that even _we_ hardly know anything about." Aneeta and Kita looked over at Eliot expecting him to come up with another thing to complain about, but he remained quiet.

"I'll have your uniforms made tonight," Wesley continued, ignoring his friends silence. "They'll be waiting for you when you arrive tomorrow. What times does you soccer go until?"

"5:00pm," Aneeta answered.

"We'll open at 5:30 then, and close at 9:00," Wesley suggested, writing down on his pad. "That is if its not past your curfew Kita."

"It's perfect," Kita nodded. "As long as Aneeta can walk me home, I'm sure my mom won't mind."

"What about me?" Jay asked. Aneeta nearly jumped out of her seat. He'd be so quiet that she had entirely forgotten about him."

"Sorry, but only Mew Mews can work here," Eliot said. "And you're really too young to be working."

"No fair," Jay pouted, picking at a cookie.

"But it is very important you keep all this a secret," Wesley explained leaning over to whisper in his ear. Aneeta couldn't hear what he said, but Jay's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Okay!" Jay grinned overjoyed. "It's a deal." he shook Wesley's hand excitedly, and Aneeta looked over at Kita in confusion, who only shrugged in response.

"I think that's all we needed to discuss," Wesley said, clasping his hands together. "You'd better be getting home. You're parents may be wondering where you are." From there, the three of them had left taking a few cookies with them

The noises around her didn't seem as loud, so Aneeta took this opportunity to relax and try to drift to sleep. She cleared her mind of her busy schedule, of her school work, of her new job, of the alien threat, and eventually she could feel herself slowly slipping away into unconsciousness.

\NMM/

"What happened Rinya?" Dlender demanded when the little girl returned.

"My air troop was attacked when it was on patrol," She lowered her head in shame. "He was attacked by these...mutations."

"What were they like?" Dlender asked, closing the distance between them.

"They looked like regular humans, but they had animal parts. Like ears and tails." Rinya began to shake with intimidation as Dlender loomed over her.

"I suppose its not your fault," Dlender said after staring down at her for almost a minute. "We knew nothing of these creatures. Perhaps we should send in another creature to see just how strong they are."

"I managed to scan their DNA," Rinya spoke, meeting the older woman's gaze steadily. "I can seek them out easily now. I can send in a ground troop."

"Very good," Dlender nodded, turning her back on her. "You can do that."

\NMM/

"Hey Aneeta!" Kita greeted excitedly, leaping across the lobby. "How do I look?" She was dressed in her Cafe uniform. It consisted of a bright red shirt with puffy sleeves, a matching bright red skirt that didn't reach her knees, a white apron over top and a white hair piece with red trimming. Aneeta's uniform was the similar, except it was a dark purple.

"You look cute," Aneeta smiled, trying to hide her disapproval._ An eleven year old shouldn't be working_, Aneeta thought, heading into the back.

"How was practice?" Kita asked, keeping up with her. "Did you score any goals?"

"During the scrimmage I did," Aneeta nodded. "We did endurance training today."

"You're not at all out of breath," Kita blinked curiously up at her. "But you do look tired."

"Didn't get much sleep last night," She shrugged, opening the door to the staff lounge. there was a table and chairs that matched the ones outside in the lobby, and a pink couch with white frills sitting across the room from a big screen TV. A heart covered mini fridge sat next to the couch. A beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting clean light through the room. A row of lockers lined the wall perpendicular to the door they just entered from. Aneeta's name was taped to the first one with bold purple letters. Kita's locker was right next to hers, and her name was in red letters.

"I'm so excited," Kita cheered, dancing around while Aneeta changed her clothes. "This is gonna be so much fun. I made sure everyone at school knew about the grand opening, so hopefully this place will be packed with customers for our first shift." _Great_, Aneeta thought, taking her hair out its ponytail, allowing her hair to fall over her shoulders. She rarely ever let it out, but she thought it looked better with the uniform.

"Did you tell your friends?" Kita bounded over to her when she had finished. Aneeta hesitated, closing her locker slowly.

"No," she answered honestly. "I didn't."

"Why not?" she cocked her eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't have any friends," she answered, staring down at the tiled floor shamefully.

"Well now you do!" Kita shouted, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Aneeta's neck. "I'm your friend!"

"Okay, okay," Aneeta gasped, trying to pry herself loose. She may be small, but she was strong. A light knock then came from the door, and Wesley came in a few seconds later.

"We're about to open," Wesley smiled. "Are you two ready?"

"Yes sir!" Kita finally released Aneeta, giving him a solute.

"I guess so," Aneeta shrugged, putting her hair behind her ears.

"Then let's go," Wesley said, opening the door wider, allowing them to walk through.

\NMM/

"Here's the order for table 7!" Kita hooked the order sheet onto the rack of orders that had yet to be filled. Aneeta was overwhelmed with how many people had showed up. Kita must have been friends with her entire school, because every time she turned around another student was coming in, and waving at Kita as she ran around the room. Aneeta carried table 3's order across the chaotic lobby, avoiding chairs that stuck out, and little kids that kept running around to talk to each other.

"Here you are," Aneeta smiled, placing each item on from her tray onto the table. "Two slices of triple layers berry pie, and a banana split, hold the cherry."

"Thank you!" the two little kids chimed, digging to their desserts.

"Thanks," their mother smiled.

"You're welcome," Aneeta bowed slightly. "I hope you enjoy." Heading back to the kitchen, she picked up a dishes and a tip that was left on table 6.

"Table 1 is about ready to order," Kita said leaving the ledge between the kitchen and the lobby with three milk shakes on her tray. "They've been waiting about 10 minutes."

"Alright," Aneeta nodded, placing her tray down, and pulling her note pad out of the pouch in her heart-shaped apron. Table 1 was filled with a group of five girls. They were all dressed very girly, with their hair done very fancy, and their clothes extremely stylish.

"Hi, welcome to-"

"Is there anything on this menu that doesn't contain a ton of calories?" One of the girls asked, interrupting her without looking up from her menu. Her hair was a dull blonde, and held up in a twisted bun.

"Um, well-"

"The cherry cheesecake looks good, but what type of cheese is in it?" A brunette with her hair straightened pin-straight interrupted this time, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She didn't look up either.

"I'm not su-"

"Do you have any fat-free ice cream?" Interrupted a red head girl whose hair curled out over her shoulders. Aneeta gulped nervously. She wasn't use to having people interrupt her when she spoke, or bombard her with so many questions, and she wasn't sure she liked it at all. Her throat was beginning to swell with anxiousness, and her hands were becoming clammy, and that never happened.

"Is there anything that comes in small proportions?" A girl with dark brown, almost black, hair that fell in luscious loose ringlets asked.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Aneeta shouted, causing the girls to finally look up at her. She ground her teeth behind her pressed lips, and fiddled with her note pad. The entire lobby was silent, and all eyes were on her.

"I'm sorry, but I only just started working here," she said in a politer tone, trying to calm herself down. "If you'd like, I could get the manager." The girls looked at each other, and blinked in bewilderment.

"How about we just get small milk shakes," the blonde suggested. "If you have low fat that's great, but if not, I guess we could endure it. We deserve to treat ourselves once in a while." Aneeta sighed in relief, and put a professional smile on her face.

"Which flavors?" she asked.

"I'd like strawberry, but do you use real strawberry's or do you use that artificial stuff?" the dark curled girl asked, causing Aneeta to groan and lower her head.

"Let's just go with vanilla," the fifth girl with blonde hair held in a curly ponytail smiled.

"Yeah that's sounds good," the others agreed.

"Alright then." Aneeta hastily wrote down their order and scurried away, hoping not to get caught up in their flood of questions again.

"Way to handle yourself." Aneeta looked turned to see Eliot leaning against the wall near the door to the kitchen.

"Thanks," she said, making herself half smile.

"The old mews would have lost their cool or something," he said, looking at her with interest glinting in his eyes. "You seem very experienced."

"Well, I am really good when it comes to public speaking, and dealing with people," she shrugged, hooking the order onto the rack.

"That'll come in handy," Eliot nodded.

"Table 2's order's ready," Wesley announced, placing slices of pie on Aneeta's tray. Aneeta picked up her tray, unsure of how to reply Eliot, and headed out across the lobby.

\NMM/

"Aneeta!" Jay cheered, barreling down the stairs as soon as she came through the door.

"Jay!" Aneeta gasped when she was nearly knocked over by him. "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep," he shrugged. "Did you fight another monster today?"

"Sh!" she hissed slapping her hand over his mouth. "Are mom and dad asleep?"

"Dad is," he nodded when she removed her hand. "Mom's staying late at the office. So did you?"

"No," Aneeta sighed, heading for the stairs.

"You didn't get attacked on the way home from work?" he pouted following her u[ the stairs.

"You like the idea of me possibly getting hurt?" She cocked an eyebrow giving her brother an evil glare.

"I like the idea of you kicking his butt!" Jay grinned innocently. Aneeta veered into her room and was surprised when Jay followed. He rarely ever came into her room.

"So what did you do at work?" he asked lifting himself onto her bed.

"Took orders, carried trays, washed dishes, mopped floors," Aneeta ran off the list as she dropped her duffle in the corner, and pulled her hair out of its ponytail. Scratching her head, she took off her jacket and browsed her drawers for clean pajamas.

"You're working on Friday right?" Jay asked swing his legs under her bed, making the skirt of it move with him.

"Yeah," Aneeta nodded. She placed her pajamas on the bed and glared at him impatiently, waiting for him to leave.

"Good," Jay grinned. "I'm gonna come!"

"Not by yourself you're not," she snapped. "Now please get out, I need to get changed and go to bed."

"I won't be going by myself, don't you worry." He continued to grin as he leaped off the bed. "Good night Neeta." I sure hope it will, she thought closing the door behind him. With an exhausted sigh, she headed back over to her bed, preparing to take off her shirt, when it hit her. The same feeling she got yesterday before the bird appeared. _Oh no,_ she panicked._ Is one coming this way? Is it going to attack my house? Should I warn my dad?_ Almost right after her Mew Cell rung, catching her off guard. She ran over and fished it out of her duffle.

"Hello?"

"You felt it didn't you?" Kita's voice anxiously jumped through the phone.

"Yeah," Aneeya nodded. She noticed her voice was shaking.

"We have to find out where it is," Kita urged.

"Last time we felt it it was close," Aneeta said, rubbing her hand over her forehead. "But you're house is far from mine. Maybe its somewhere in between?"

"Well we have to do something!" Kita exclaimed. A beep the cut off what she was about to say.

"Um, I think I have call on the other line, hold on," Kita said, sounding a little too cheery. "Hold on a sec."

"Wa-!" Aneta was cut off again by silence on the other line._ Great_, she sighed. _She's got me on hold and there's an alien out there. She probably showed it off at school and added everyone's numbers to it._

"That was Eliot!" Kita's voice screamed through the phone, causing Aneeta to jump almost a foot in the air. "He says that the alien is in the park that's on the other side of the Cafe!"

"All that way?" Aneeta groaned. "Alright, I'll meet you at the Cafe. Don't go anywhere until I'm there. Wait, are you even allowed to leave?"

"My parents are out like a light," Kita's voice sounded cheery again. "Nothing wakes them but the sweet sound of their musical alarm clock."

"Okay..." Aneeta blinked a few times rapidly. _She's so weird_, she said silently.

"I'll see you then," she said.

"Tootles!" Kita chimed, hanging up on her end.

"Yup, defiantly weird." Aneeta opened her door and checked to make sure Jay wasn't eavesdropping in the hall. The cost was clear so she scurried as quietly as she could down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Aneeta groaned, and turned around to see Jay standing at the top of the stairs.

"I got a job to do," she said, slipping on her shoes.

"Cool!" he grinned. "can I come?"

"NO!" she shrieked. He tilted his head, and his eyes glistened.

"I'm sorry," she sighed in a politer tone. "You could get hurt. Stay here." She finished tieing her shoes and bolted out the door.

\NMM/

"You see anything?" Kita asked looking anxiously around the dark park. The street lamps had come on, but it barely hid the threatening darkness that surrounded them.

"No, I don't," Aneeta admitted, with a worried sighed. "You sure Eliot said it was on the other side of the Cafe? He could have accidentally mistaken it for our side."

"Nope, he said it was this park," Kita huffed, impatiently placing her hands on her hips. "Where is this beastie? I wanna kicking some more alien butt!" Aneeta was about to open her mouth to protest against the young girl's ambitions when they heard a twig crack behind them. They wiped around, expecting to see the most hideous form of an animal they had on earth, but instead they say a girl, walking by with a cell phone plastered to her ear. She was talking at a million miles an hour, and tossed her dark hair over her shoulder as she passed them.

"Man," Kita grumbled. "It's just some 'stick'."

"I'm sorry, did you say something," the girl asked rudely removing the phone from her ear.

"No, carry on," Kita smiled sweetly. The girl gave her a glare and replaced the phone carrying on with her conversation.

"A stick?" Aneeta asked.

"That's what I call girls who try and make themselves look like girls in magazine," Kita shrugged. "Those fashion magazines are so miss guiding with how you should look." Aneeta looked after the girl, and realized what she was wearing. She had on a tube top that covered only half of her stomach, leaving her stomach bare, and a supper short skirt that would have shown her underwear if she were to bend over.

"Hey, wasn't she at the Cafe today?" Kita asked.

"The Cafe?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she nodded. "She was at that table of 'sticks' you were taking orders for. You know, the ones giving you the hard time about what has too many calories?"

"Oh, right," Aneeta nodded. "She's the one who asked if we used real strawberries or not in our milk shakes."

"I'm glad we do," Kita smiled. "The syrup is nasty." Aneeta laughed, completely forgetting about what they were suppose to be doing. Aneeta looked at the girl again, and was brought back to reality. There was something purple on the girls right shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Kita asked waving a hand in her face. "You sense something?" Aneeta didn't reply, but jogged to catch up with the girl. As she closed the gap, she became more and more sure.

"Aneeta what are you doing?" Kita called after her. When she reached her, she could make out a star within a ring on her shoulder. _Yes!_, She cheered silently. _Another Mew Mew! _As if she heard her, the girl wiped around, giving her an evil look.

"May I ask why you are following me?" she demanded, cocking out her hip, and placing her empty hand on it.

"I'm Aneeta," she grinned, holding out her hand. She wasn't sure of what else to do.

"And I care because...?" she asked, giving her attitude. Aneeta hated getting attitude.

"This is gonna sound strange, but you um...you have a mark on your back."

"Yes, I know," she nodded, looking sort of proud. "It's a tattoo."

"Oh," Aneeta looked down at the ground, feeling stupid. How could she mistaken a Mew Mark for a tattoo?

"Did it appear suddenly yesterday?" Kita asked, coming to Aneeta's rescue.

"Yes actually," she answered, giving Aneeta hope. "I've been arguing with my mom about getting one. She can't object to this now. I didn't even put it there."

"I got one too," Kita grinned holding out her wrist.

"Aw, its so cute!" she giggled. "It's a little paw print."

"I'm Kita."

"Tiffany," the girl smiled down at her. "You're cute too."

"Thanks," Kita grinned, looking up at Anneta with triumph. Aneeta had to admit, she knew how to get along with people. The ground beneath them suddenly began to shake.

"Earthquake!" Tiffany shrieked. "And I'm in my good heels too!" She wobbled a bit, trying not to lose her balance.

"It's here!" Kita whispered.

"I know," Aneta nodded in agreement. The ground the burst next to them sending clumps of dirt flying at them, and Tiffany screamed in distress.

\NMM/

"Finally," Wesley sighed, removing his goggles. "Time to wake up MAL." The little robotic creature before him remained motionless.

"MAL," Wesley called. The creature finally clicked, and a pair of gray eyes appeared on its dark face.

"MMM!" It cried, jumping up into the air, being held up by its tiny wings.

"Go find Aneeta and Kita," he ordered. "They need your help."

"AAA!" It nodded, lifting a tiny paw to salute him, and buzzed out of the room.

\NMM/

"What IS that thing?!" Tiffany screeched, staring up at the creature in horror. The alien was some sort of mole, with a wiping tentacle for a snout, and really thick claws stuck out of its long arms. It loomed over the girls, letting a a deep curdling cry.

"Gross!" she cried, backing away from the alien. It spun around, quite fast for its large size, swing one of his massive paws at her.

"Mew Mew Plum! Mewtamorphosis!" Aneeta's clothes melted and were replaced by new ones, her hair and eyes changed to purple, and a pair of bat wings and ears appeared on her body. She leapt forward, pumping herself forward with her strong wings, and managed to knock Tiffany out of the massive paw's path.

"Mew Mew Licorice! Mewtamorphosis!" Kita's clothes turned into her mew outfit, her hair and eyes changed to red, and a pair of ears and a tail popped out.

"What are you guys?" Tiffany demanded, pushing Aneeta away, and shakily got to her feet.

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" Aneeta growled. "You are one of us. That mark on your back signifies you are a Mew Mew!"

"What the heck is a Mew Mew?" Tiffany shouted back.

"Glitter Brush!" The giant paint brush appeared in Kita's hands, and she held it steady. She was standing on the opposite side of the mole.

"LICORICE...RIBBON...!" Before she could finish, the mole lurched out at her.

"Kita!" Aneeta gasped, watching her friend get barreled over. "NO!!" Tiffany could only stare.

"Jiggle Chuck!" Her nun chuck appeared in her hand, and she immediately began to spin it.

"PLUM NIGHT PIERCE!" She threw her chuck out and it straightened out, piercing the mole in the back. It reared up, letting loose another curdling cry but in pain.

"No. No! NO!" a voice rang through the park, causing the trees to rustle.

"What was that?" Tiffany whispered, afraid if she spoke too loud something horrible would happen.

"What are you? Why are you hurting my pet?" A little girl then appeared on the moles shoulder, staring angrily at them. With a lengthy hand, she grabbed hold of the nun chuck in the moles back and pulled it out effortlessly, causing the nun chuck to go limp, and retreat to its original size.

"Friend of yours?" Tiffany shivered, staring at her stretched fingers. Aneeta shook her head.

"Who do you blasphemies think you are?" The girl shouted angrily at them. The wind blew her ponytails across her face, and she glared with shining green through them.

"Blasphemies?" Kita coughed, propping herself up on her elbows. "You don't look too human yourself."

"Kita!" Aneeta sighed in relief, but she didn't dare try and go near the mole yet. She wasn't sure what kind of threat this girl was.

"At least I'm a straight species," the girl stuck her chin out snootily, and stood up on the hunched over mole's back. "You are humans mixed with animal DNA. How's that even possible."

"It's none of you business!" Kita snapped, finally back on her feet, and she briskly put some distance between herself and the still hunched over mole. It glared at her with dark, seemingly bottomless eyes, waiting for its order to strike.

"Well I'm here looking for something, so I'd appreciate it if you'd stop getting in my way!" The girl snapped back.

"You're stupid_ pets _attacked us first!" Aneeta protested. "First the bird, and now your ugly mole.

"How dare you!" The girl gasped, taking great offense to what she said. "Alright Doola, finish them." The girl lept from its back, landing on the top branch of a tree, allowing the mole to rear up again, letting out another cry.

"Can't catch me!" Kita giggled, leaping out of the way of its swing paws. She jumped onto its shoulder, then down again, causing it to hit itself stupidly.

"Stay here," Aneeta ordered Tiffany. "Until you get a power pendent, you wont be much help in a fight."

"A what?" Tiffany demanded, putting her hand on her hip. "I can't fight this thing. It would make me sweat, and sweating so doesn't look good with this out fit. Maybe if I wearing-"

"I get it," Aneeta interrupted, shaking her head. "Just stay here." With the flap of her wings, Aneeta took to the air. Kita was still scurrying around distracting the mole, and Aneeta took this as a great opportunity.

"PLUM NI-!"

"Not again you won't!" The pink hair alien girl came out of no where, punching Aneeta in the stomach.

"Ugh!" she grunted, having the wind knocked out of her. She swung her Jingle Chuck, hoping to hit her in the head with it, but the girls reflexes were too fast. She caught the other end, and curled her lengthy fingers around it.

"You may have animal DNA," she smirked. "but your still a weak human."

From the ground, Tiffany could only watch. Her mind was racing, and telling her to run, get away while she still could, but her feet wouldn't obey. If it weren't for the heels of her stiletto pumps being stuck in the ground, she probably would have put more effort into. Watching the little one zip around the alien beast, and watching the other girl up in the air preparing to attack it, she thought this weird dream would be over soon, but then that crazy girl in pink flew into the batgirl, nearly knocking her out of the sky. _I'm one of them huh?_, Tiffany thought to herself, staring up at them with her mouth hung open. _I hope...No, I wish, that my clothes aren't as tacky as theirs are._

"MAL!" A high-pitched squeaky came from beside her, causing her to scream, and finally move her feet. She stumbled to the side and landed on her rear.

"OW!" Tiffany moaned, lifting her hand. "I chipped my nail!"

"MMM," a little creature floated in front of her. Its face was heart-shaped, and bore bright grey eyes. It had two paws for hands, and tiny legs that had big shoes on them. It looked like a stuffed doll, with its black cloth that had distinguishable white stich lines on its limbs. A blue sun dress was wrapped around its tiny body, and pink hair fell from its head.

"Another alien!" Tiffany cried, staring at the creature, tears almost in her eyes.

"MAL!" the doll shouted, shaking its head. it spoke from a tiny mouth that only appeared when she did. Tiffany then noticed a pair of pointed ears, and a tail on the doll.

"Hey, you look like them," She said, pointing at the girls she just met.

"MM!" the doll cheered, nodding its sown head. "LLLL!" Raising her hands above her head, the little doll conjured a ball of magic, and a small pendent with a pink heart on it appeared.

"MMM!" she chimed, handing it to Tiffany.

"I don't think this would go with any of my outfits," Tiffany complained, turning it over in her hands. The doll glared at her frustratingly, her arms barely long enough to put her paws on her hips.

"Oh!" Tiffany gasped, when it finally clicked. "This must be that pendent that the batgirl was talking about. What was her name? Leta? Xena?"

"MAL!" the doll cried, causing Tiffany to focus.

"Alright," Tiffany sighed, getting up on her feet. "Um, what do I do with it." The doll began to panic flailing her arms around. Aneeta had crashed to the ground with the pink alien, and they were in a tussle, and Kita had resorted to running in circles because she was getting too tired of jumping around everywhere, and that never happened.

"Oh I know!" Tiffany cheered happily. The doll sighed in relief as gave her pendent a short sensual kiss.

"Mew Mew Rose! Metamorphosis!" Dark pink lights surrounded Tiffany causing her clothes to disappear. She became thrilled by the smell of sweet roses that surrounded her, and tiptoed through them, careful not to step on any of them. As if for their gratitude, dark pink petals rose up from the flowers, collecting around her breasts, and lower area. They then blew away and had created a dark halter top, and a dark pink skirt that reached her ankles, but was slit on the sides all the way, covering her front and back, and leaving her gorgeous legs bare. She picked up two flowers to get a better whiff of their sensational scents. The flowers' petals grew wrapping around her arms, then blew away revealing dark pink arm bands on her upper arms, trimmed with a litter pink, and dark pink leather gloves that ended at her wrists. The flowers began to sway in the windless air, as if dancing to appreciate her beauty. She couldn't help but do a dramatic spin, and kicking her foot out. As she did, she kicked petals up in the air that immediately collected around her foot revealing a stiletto pump. She did the same with the other foot, creating a the other half of the pair. She came to a beautiful gazebo, and she felt feline instincts to leap up on top of it. A strong breeze then rippled through the air, and turned her hair completely black, rippling pink streaks through it, giving it more volume. Blinking excitedly down at the breath-taking view of the flowers, her eyes became a deep delicious pink, and a pair of very pointy ears with extra fur on the tips popped out, followed by a short spotted tail. Her pendent dangled from her neck, connecting to her top, and she struck her final pose.

"Oooo, Tiffany likey," she giggled, looking herself over.

"MAL!" The doll shrieked, pointing desperately at her troubled Mew Mates.

"Oh, right," She nodded. "Okay, now what do I want my weapon to be."

"MAL MAL!!" The doll flew around her like a complete maniac.

"You're distracting me!" she complained grabbing her by the dress. "Now be quiet! Oh I know!"

"Mute Phones!" Tiffany called, raising her hand up into the air. A few question marks appeared on the dolls head.

\NMM/

"Give up!" The pink girl grinned evily, showing a row of perfectly filed teeth. She had her lengthy fingers curled around her throat and was chocking her. Aneeta tried her best, but this tiny girl was strong then she looked. If she didn't get her off soon, she was going to die. Her life literally flashed before her eyes. She watched all thing the things she'd done, all the the things she missed out on, and all the things she'd never do. Her last though was about Jay. He was going to lose his hero. Not just for alien fighting, but he also looked up to her. What was he going to do without his role model? A tear was about to fall down her cheek when a pair of large pint spotted head phones appeared on her head.

"Huh?" The alien girl cocked an eyebrow, not letting her grip loosen.

"ROSE...AMPLIFIED...SOUND SHOCK!" A voice rang amplified through the entire park. Pulsing sound bursts were then sent through the air. The sound seemed muffled to Aneeta, and didn't bother her, but the alien girl screeched in pain, letting her go so she could cover her ears. Aneeta coughed when she became reacquainted with her full access to oxygen. Sitting up, she saw the mole was also in pain, trying to dig its way back underground.

"Oh no you don't!" Kita shouted, taking out her paint brush. She too had a pair of headphones one. "LICORICE...RIBBON..PAINT BLAST!" The colors burst from her brush, attacking the mole. It became stunned by the attack. It hurt with the stings of a thousand wasps. The jungle chuck appeared in Aneeta's hand and she swung it around preparing for the final blow.

"PLUM...NIGHT...PIERCE!" Whipping it forward it stabbed the mole in the head, causing it to go limp, and disintegrate.

"NO, NO, NO!" The pink alien shouted, stomping her feet immaturely. "Not again! It's not fair. You haven't seen the last of me, or my people." She pointed a finger threateningly at them. "Mark my words. You will taken care of." With that she disappeared.

'That was awesome!" Kita cheered, jumping on Aneeta's back. The running in circles still didn't seem to kill her energy. "That was an amazing attack. These headphones are genius."

"That wasn't me," Aneeta admitted, even though she'd like to take the credit.

"Then if you didn't, then who-?"

"I know I'm good," Tiffany smiled, strutting her way over to them. She had her own pair of headphones, and a very sparkly spotted microphone in her hand.

"That was you?" Aneeta gasped.

"Of course it was," She sighed, sticking out her hip. "How many other stylish girls with a microphone do you see around here."

"That was cool!" Kita praised jumping off of Aneeta's back. "You're not too bad for a stick."

"A what?" she demanded.

"Oh, never mind," Kita giggled, trying to brush it off. "Hey, what's that?" Aneeta watched as a flying doll zoomed around them with excitement.

"MMMM! MAL!" it cried.

"What is it?" Kita wondered, spinning around watching her fly.

"I don't know, but she gave me my pendent," Tiffany shrugged.

"Maybe she was sent by Wesley and Eliot?" Aneeta suggested.

"LLL!" the doll nodded.

"Good thing you came," Kita smiled. "Or else we would have been goners."

"MM. LL." The doll blushed.

"It's really late now, you'd better get home," Aneeta advised. "Come on we'll walk you home."

"It better not be too far," Tiffany complained. "I haven't broken these in yet." Aneeta and Kita rolled their eyes as they walked out of the park, back in their normal clothes.

\NNM/

_Mew Intro Time!_

Congrads to Cherrie-Sakura, who created the very stylish Tiffany Lachwood, or Mew Rose. I chose her, since she has yet another different personality from our current Mews, and because she also stood out amongst the other entries. Some of her personality was shown in this episode, but in the episodes to come, it'll shine even more.

There wont be a new Mew next chapter, but a couple chapter after. Of course, I'm still accepting Mews, and try and make them as uniquely as possible. I wanna build more off of the three that are in it so far. So good luck to all who entered, and to all who will.


	3. Chapter 3: Afternoon at the Mewseum

_Author's Note: I'm very sorry for making every wait so long for this update. I've been so busy with school lately. But now Summer's here, so I have plenty of time to write. :) My goal is to get at least 3 updates per month this summer. For a total of 6. I'd do more, but I have a life outside of fanfiction sadly. :P Enjoy!_

_Also, yes I know Nagoya doesn't have a museum like the one I used in this chapter, but I had already practically wrote the whole chapter when I finally decided to look at what museums it actually had. :P_

Chapter 3: Afternoon at the Mewseum

"I'm here!" Tiffany chimed strutting through the front door. Aneeta and Kita stood in front of her, arms folded, tapping their feet in unison.

"Is there something on my face?" Tiffany gasped whipping a mirror out of her purse.

"No," Aneeta answered. Her skin was completely clean, and decorated skillfully with make up.

"Is my hair sticking up?" Tiffany moved the mirror up so she could examine it.

"No," Kita spoke through gritted teeth. Her hair was as perfect as always, falling past her shoulders in glossy, loose ringlets.

"Are my clothes wrinkled?" She shoved the mirror away, and brushed her hands over clothes to make sure they were okay. Her school uniform was fancy, with her frilled blouse, and plaid skirt. It looked like the uniforms of that one private school on the other side of the city.

"No," they replied in annoyed unison.

"Then what is it?" Tiffany demanded, looking very annoyed.

"You, are, late," Aneeta answered slowly, making sure she heard every word.

"But we don't open for another ten minutes," she protested.

"Employees are suppose to arrive twenty minutes early to set everything up, and make sure everything is presentable," Kita snapped.

"Well sorry," Tiffany snapped back snootily. "I walked by _El Debi_, and they had a shoe sale." She held up her shopping bag with the fancy letters laced across it with pride.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kita sighed. "That's what to expect from a Stick."

"A what?" Tiffany asked, still not catching on.

"It doesn't matter," Aneeta sighed. "Get back there and change!"

"No need to raise your voice," Tiffany snapped, strutting past them. "I'm moving as fast as I can."

"You could raise your voice 5 octaves and it still wouldn't make her move any faster," Kita groaned.

\NMM/

"She's at it again," Kita groaned, standing with Aneeta, Wesley and MAL in the kitchen, watching Tiffany taking orders from the kitchen. MAL stood for Mew Alien Locator. She was designed to locate both Mews and the new Aliens. Wesley had been working on her since he and Eliot first decided to relocate. He didn't get a chance to input a complex voice box yet, so she could only pronounce the letters in her name.

"Are you sure you want the banana cream pie?" Tiffany asked, eying the woman she was speaking to. "Maybe you should go with something less fattening. No offense, but you look like you could loose a few pounds." The three of them stared at her in udder shock.

"Oh boy," Wesley gasped.

"Oh no she didn't!" Kita gasped, pounding her fists on thre counter. Aneeta raced out of the kitchen, hoping she could save the customer.

"How dare you say that!" The woman shouted, appalled by her statement.

"I'm sorry but its true," Tiffany said, not backing down. "What are you an XL?"

"Why I-"

"I am so sorry for what my coworker has said," Aneeta interrupted, pushing Tiffany aside. "You see she just started working today, and she gets really nervous sometimes when she speaks, so she rambles. To show our apologies, would you like to sample a new flavor of ice cream our cook has just created?"

"I suppose so," The woman answered, still looking very upset. "And I still want my pie."

"Yes, of course ma'am," Aneeta nodded, smiling as nicely as she could. She then grabbed Tiffany's arm and dragged her into the kitchen.

"Ow!" Tiffany groaned, yanking her arm free. "You're gonna cut off my circulation."

"It wouldn't make a difference," Kita muttered under her breath. "You don't use it anyways."

"That's the third customer you insulted," Aneeta sighed. "Oh, by the way Wesley, you need to make some more of that new ice cream flavor pronto."

"I'll see what I can do," Wesley nodded, going toward the freezer.

"I was just telling her that she should keep her size in mind and work on loosing the weight," Tiffany shrugged. "She could look a lot better if she lost it."

"She looks fine," Aneeta sighed. "You shouldn't talk so rudely to people. Especially when its about there weight."

"I wasn't being rude," She protested.

"You asked if she was an XL, and said it with disgust," Kita spoke up. "Not everyone can be a small."

"Here's the ice cream," Wesley interrupted holding out a small bowl.

"I'll take it," Aneeta said, relieving him. "Maybe you should just stick to helping Wesley in the kitchen Tiffany." Wesley made a nervous chuckle as she left the kitchen._ She isn't really capable of cooking._

"MMM!" MAL sighed, shaking her head at Tiffany.

"At least I can carry a tray," Trisha huffed, strutting across the kitchen.

"MM, MM, Mm," MAL playfully mocked, strutting through the air. She whipped out a cup saucer and tried balancing it on her paw. She took a few steps, and it wobbled, falling to the floor with a tiny crash, spraying glass everywhere. Everyone in the kitchen looked at her, and she blushed shamefully.

"I'll get the broom," Kita sighed.

"Here you are ma'am," Aneeta smiled. "Your pie will be coming shortly."

"Thank you," the lady said, excepting the ice cream. "I suggest your employers hire people who have a filter between their brain and their mouth." Aneeta only smiled, and slid away to another table to retrieve the tip, and empty dishes from an empty table.

"Neeta!" _He came after all_, Aneeta thought, turning toward the voice of her little brother. She nearly dropped the dishes she was holding when she say who he was with. Jeremy gave her a friendly wave, which she returned, and hurriedly sped back to the kitchen.

"He's cute!" Tiffany chirped when she came through. "Is he your boyfriend?" Aneeta was taken aback by her outburst, and almost dropped the dishes again.

"Um, no," she stammered, placing them in the sink.

"Does he have girlfriend?" Tiffany pressed, getting too close for Aneeta to feel comfortable.

"Not that I kno-"

"Do you have a crush on him do you?" she continued, not waiting for her to finish. "You must have. I saw the way you reacted when he came in. So do you?"

"Um, I..." Did she? She didn't have reason not to. She probably would be dating him if it wasn't for her awkwardness. But that's a shoulda-woulda-coulda scenario. She passed her chance, and she shouldn't stop Tiffany if she wanted to date him. She couldn't really stop her anyways.

"No, of course not," She grinned sheepishly. "You can go for him if you want."

"Yay!" Tiffany cheered. "I'll go introduce myself by seating them." She was about to skip out of the kitchen, when Wesley tapped her on the shoulder.

"Maybe you should let Aneeta do that," he suggested. "He's with her brother after all, and he probably expects her to serve them."

"Fine," Tirffany answered, but refused to look upset. "I'll just talk to him on the way out or something." Aneeta couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over her. She put on a smile as she stepped out of the kitchen, walking past Kita who was balancing two trays. She fiddled with her apron, making it look as neat as possible, and put on her customer-greeting smile.

"Welcome to Cafe Mew Chi Lou," she greeted with a small bow.

"You look cute," Jeremy smiled.

"Um...ah...thanks," she stammered, taken by surprise by the compliment. "I'll ah...get you your menus." She went behind the podium to retrieve the menus, and to hide her reddening face. _Take a deep breathe Aneeta,_ she told herself. _He's just another customer. You don't like him remember? Tiffany's going for him. Don't get in the way._

"Alri-OW!" She stood up to fast, and forgot to get her head out of the shelf, so she hit her head off of the top of the podium.

"Are you okay?" Jeremy asked, looking a bit shocked by her clumsiness.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Aneeta grunted through clenched teeth, trying to look like it was nothing. "I'll take you to your table." Jay was grinning at her in amusement. _You're gonna pay_, she threatened silently, leading them across the lobby. She seated them by the window, and fumbled to get out her pen and pad from her apron.

"Um, are you going to have something to drink?" She asked, trying to sound professional again.

"Chocolate Milkshake!" Jay cheered without hesitation.

"If you're having that, then you aren't having any other thing with chocolate," Aneeta warned, going all big-sister on him. Jay slumped in his seat with a scowl.

"I'll just have some raspberry cheesecake," Jeremy said, without really looking at the menu.

"You still having the milkshake?" Aneeta asked, scribbling down his order.

"Nope, I'll have a glass of milk, and that three layered chocolate cake!" Jay grinned, triumphantly.

"Now that's too much chocolate," she replied, cocking her eyebrow.

"He's a kid, let him enjoy the chocolate," Jeremy smiled.

"Well you don't have to deal with him at home," Aneeta grumbled.

"Please?" Jay whined, making the best pouting face. Aneeta groaned, and wrote down his order.

"I ain't doing it because of your pouting, because your horrible at it, and it ain't that convincing." She shoved her pad and pen in her apron, and took their menus.

"How long of a wait will it be?" Jeremy asked, resting his chin on one of his hands.

"Um..." Aneeta tried to do the mental calculations, but wasn't very good at it with him staring her dead in the eye.

"10 minutes tops." She just threw a number out there.

"Not bad for a place with so few employees," he nodded, looking impressed.

"Well, we're little speedies," she grinned, and hurriedly spun around to hide her face. _Speedies?_, she scolded herself mentally, making her way back to the podium to put the menus back. She was almost to the podium, when her hearing suddenly heightened, and she was hit with a wave of sounds from all directions. She almost fell over from the impact, and had to hold onto the podium to keep herself up. She couldn't distinguish hardly anything, but the voices in the lobby were loudest of them all.

"Is she okay?" she heard Jeremy ask amongst the sea of sound.

"She almost fell over," Jay gasped. She heard Jeremy's chair scratch across the floor as he went to get up. The sound was worse than nails on a chalkboard. She gritted her teeth, and before Jeremy could take a step toward her, she made a mad dash for the kitchen. Her own footsteps sounded like a hammer to a wall. She managed to get inside, and fled to the large freezer hoping she could escape the sounds.

"Aneeta?" Kita asked, sounding very worried, as she was handed Jay and Jeremy's order as she went by. She ignored her, and closed the freezer behind her. She did manage to drown out the sounds of outside alright, but they were replaced by the annoying sound the freezer made, times 100. Aneeta slumped to the floor and put her fingers to her temples.

"Come on," she pleaded. "Focus." She sat there for who knows how long, but eventually the sound of the freezer became less intense, and she sighed in relief. Sweat was gliding down her back, despite the freezing temperature of the freezer. Carefully, Aneeta got up and let herself out the freezer. She was greeted by sounds, but not as intense as before.

"You okay?" Kita was standing right outside, looking very nervous.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she nodded, taking a sigh of relief.

"It was because everything got loud huh?" Wesley asked coming over with MAL right behind him.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking at him surprised. "How'd you know?"

"Sometimes you experience traits from the animal DNA you have," he explained. "Since you have bat DNA, you would experience heightened hearing."

"That sucks," Kita sighed. "That must have given you a killer headache." Aneeta only nodded.

"MMM, LLL," MAL cooed sympathetically, stroking her head.

"Thanks," Aneeta smiled. "I'm okay now. So where's Jay and Jeremy's order?"

"Um..." Kita's voice trailed off.

"What?" She asked, placing her fists on her hips.

"Tiffany took it out," she said, scrapping her foot against the floor.

"What?" Aneeta gasped. She ran to the ledge to look out at the lobby. Sure enough, Trisha was standing in front of Jay and Jeremy's table, with her major flirt act on. She was twirling her finger in her hair, and looking away occasionally, with a subtle smile on her face. Jeremy was smiling, and talking with her while Jay was just staring at her. Aneeta was too far away to tell what kind of smile Jeremy had on, but she could tell Jay looked angry.

"You really are a klutz around him," Kita said, getting an order together. "I thought you didn't like him."

"I..." She wasn't sure how to act. Maybe she did.

"Earth to Aneeta! Come in Aneeta!" Kita waved her hand frantically in front of her face.

"Huh?" she blinked a few times then looked down at Kita, who had MAL on her shoulder.

"What _is_ the deal with this guy?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well..." Aneeta bit her lip.

"You gotta tell me now!" She shouted. "We gotta take these orders out though, so tell me after." Aneeta nodded and took a couple trays out into the lobby. She took them to their desired table, and even cleaned off a few tables, the whole time Tiffany was flirting with Jeremy.

"Okay spill!" Kita demanded, relieving Aneeta of her dishes.

"Well I have this thing where I'm not comfortable around people," Aneeta began.

"How can that be when you're a great public speaker, and a great waitress?" Kita asked, sitting herself up on the counter.

"I can do that stuff easily, because it's for business," She explained. "If it's for fun and with friends, I'm not sure how to act, so I get uncomfortable and nervous."

"Yet, here we are, very good friends," Kita grinned.

"MAL!" MAL agreed. She was seated next to Kita listening intently.

"Well, yeah cause we met because I was suppose to be tutoring you, which was in a way business..." Her voice trailed off. "But anyways, so that's just the norm for me, and that's why I really don't have friends...besides you." Kita grinned.

"I'm also the same with boyfriends," she continued. "I've never had one, but I've been asked out several times. Jeremy was one of those guys."

"WHAT!?!?!" Kita screamed jumping from the counter. MAL fell over, acting as if she had a heart attack. Aneeta took it she didn't need anymore of explanation.

"How could you say 'no'?" she dmenaded.

"I just told you why," Aneeta groaned.

"Yeah, but _how_?" she repeated.

"I feel guilty enough as it is," Aneeta huffed. "If he hadn't asked me, I would never have turned him down."

"But did you ever ask yourself if you liked him?" Kita asked, tapping her foot impatiently. MAL imitated her.

"No..."

"Do you think you do now?" She asked, cocking her eyebrow, and MAL mimicked. Aneeta hesitated.

"Well?"

"Yes..."

"Then tell him!" Kita shouted, catching her off guard again.

"What?"

"You gotta hurry!" She urged pushing her toward the door with MAL flying up on ahead toward the doors. "You gotta snatch him back before-"

"I've got a date!" Tiffany cheered busting through the kitchen doors, causing one to swat MAL out of the air.

"-that happens," Kita finished, looking defeated.

"We're going out tomorrow!" She squealed, taking Aneeta's hands and skipping in a circle. "I'm so excited!"

"And where are you going?" Kita asked, even though she wasn't at all interested.

"We're going...to the museum." She said the last part in disgust. "But oh well, as long as I'm with him. I wonder how experienced he is." Aneeta swallowed a lump that flew up to her throat, when she was able to get her hands free from Tiffany.

"Yay," Kita sighed, not sounding at all excited.

"MMM," MAL moaned, rubbing her head, sprawled out on the floor.

"Come on girls," Eliot ordered, coming in. "Enough standing around! Get back to work. Do you want to get your pays docked?"

"With pleasure," Kita smiled, grabbing Aneeta. "Come with me, we need to clean off a few more tables, and take some orders. Tiffany, stay."

"Whatever," she sighed, checking her nails. Aneeta allowed herself to be dragged out by Kita.

"I've got a plan," she announced when she was pulled into the corner.

"For what?" Aneeta demanded, cocking an eyebrow.

"We're gonna spy on them," She grinned.

"What?" Aneeta gasped. "But we can't. It's an invasion of privacy."

"Well, she stole your man," she countered.

"He's not my man," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "And I gave up my chance with him remember?"

"Yeah, well we're gonna steel him back," she grinned evilly, rubbing her hands together as if she was plotting something very evil.

"And besides, I have soccer tomorrow," Aneeta added, folding her arms. "So I can't."

"Yes you can!" Kita whined, all evilness gone. "We'll tell your coach you're sick or something. You're a dedicated player right? So she'll believe you. Please?" She made a pouting face just like Jay had earlier, but hers was more effective.

"Fine," She groaned. "But we don't know when they're going."

"Leave that to me," Kita grinned triumphantly.

\NMM/

"Did you like your surprise?" Jay grinned, jumping up from the couch when Aneeta walked in.

"Surprise?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I thought it'd be neat if I brought Jeremy, since I can tell you like him."

"I do not!" She snapped. _Or I do..._, she thought. _I mean I must if I'm getting this jealous over Tiffany._

"Well you sure proved it today," He chuckled dancing on the carpet. "We're little speedies."

"Arg!" Aneeta growled, clenching her fists. She felt so stupid for saying that.

"I'm sorry about bringing him though," his face becoming apologetic.

"What for?" She asked seating herself on the couch, and motioning for him to do the same.

"If I hadn't a brought him, he never would have meat that annoying waitress," he grumbled.

"That's one way to describe her," Aneeta laughed.

"She wouldn't shut up," Jeremy groaned, recalling the afternoon. "She just kept going on and on about stuff I can't even remember. But it was like she talked him into going out with her."

"Did he talk to you about it afterward?" Aneeta asked, leaning in a little, hoping to get some inside info.

"We did talk about some things, but he made me promise it'll stay between us guys," he grinned mischievously. _Dang it._

"I got homework to do," Jay groaned heading for the stairs. "Jeremy gave me extra homework for the weekend." _Good?_

"See yeah." Jay left without another word. _What did they talk about?_

\NMM/

"This is your plan?" Aneeta grumbled. She was standing down at a subway station with a pair of fake glasses with a large nose and a mustache on, holding a newspaper in front of her face.

"Of course," Kita grinned, wearing the same glasses, and holding the same newspaper she was. "The glasses are for back up just in case Jeremy or Tiffany manages to look around the newspaper."

"LLL!" MAL adjusted her own pair in admiration. She was settled nicely on Aneeta's shoulder.

In order to find out when Tiffany and Jeremy were going and what they were doing, Kita asked Tiffany straight out, acting like a squealing little girl in the process. Tiffany begged Eliot for today's shift to be a lunch one, and Aneeta and Kita joined in, because Kita wanted really wanted to be a spy. Aneeta had to admit it was kinda funny, seeing Tiffany's first shocked reaction turn into one of pure excitement. Eliot eventually crumbled, but said we had to show up earlier than usual.

Aneeta had called her couch last night, doing her best to sound sick, telling her she'd wouldn't make today's practice. Her couch, sounded worried, and suggested she rest the whole weekend and come back on Wednesday. Aneeta was grateful for the time off. She didn't really realize how much she'd been working, and how much of a break she needed.

"Here they come!" Kita hissed, lifting up her newspaper. Aneeta did the same. The two of them walked and stood to wait for the subway, the whole time Tiffany was talking. Jeremy barely got more than two words in. Carefully, Aneeta slowly lowered her newspaper. Tiffany was as glamorous as always, with her hair freshly done, and he clothes looking like they just came out. Compared to her, Jeremy looked like a bum, but he looked good in his casual clothing. Aneeta quickly lifted her newspaper again when the subway rolled up, and Jeremy looked her way.

"We have to stay close," Kita whispered as they boarded slowly, keeping a few people between them and their targets. The whole ride there, people were giving them strange looks. Aneeta grumbled things to her self like, "How did I get dragged into this?" or "Kita's gonna be assigned extra homework on Tuesday." It was a wonder Jeremy and Tiffany didn't notice them at all. They were sitting about five seats away from them. Tiffany went through brief moments where she listened to Jeremy, but most of the time she held up the conversation. When they finally departed, Aneeta was fed up with the itchy mustache, and weird looks she was getting, so she through the glasses in the nearest trash bin.

"Do you know how much those cost me?" Kita growled, taking hers off and shoving them in her pocket.

"I don't really care," Aneeta sighed. "This is childish. I can't believe you talked me into this."

"It actually was only a few yen at this one store," Kita shrugged. "They were trying to get rid of them or something."

"I wonder why," Aneeta mumbled.

"We're losing them!" Kita panicked. Aneeta looked on ahead, and could barley see the top of Jeremy's head.

"It's okay, I know where the museum is anyways," she shrugged.

"We are suppose to keep them in site at all times!" She shouted, grabbing Aneeta's shirt and bringing her down to eye level. _Boy she is strong_, Aneeta thought, gazing into her silver and blue eyes.

"That is the point of being a spy," She continued. "Keeping your target in view at all times, or else they'll slip away and stab you in the back!"

"Um, we aren't out to kill anyone," Aneeta blinked surprised at what she had said.

"Oh right," Kita nodded, letting her go. "Anyhow, let's get going!"

\NMM/

"Have you seen Rinya, Maken?" Dlender asked as she made it over to where the man in the blue robe stood.

"No," he responded. "She's probably ashamed of yet another failure. So she decided not to return until she found something useful."

"If this keeps up, I'll have to take matters into my own hands," Dlender scowled, glaring down at Earth through the window.

"No need to go to that extreme," Maken smiled. "You are very powerful, and your powers are best used otherwise."

"Will you take over then if she continues to fail?" she asked, glancing at him.

"If that is what you want," He replied.

"So be it then."

\NMM/

"Great we lost them," Kita sighed, shaking her head. They stood inside the lobby of the museum, but there was no sign of Jeremy or Tiffany. There could have been any number of ways they could have went. There was an exhibit dedicated entirely to ancient scrolls, there was one with ancient suits of armor, an ice age exhibit, a dinosaur exhibit, and many others dedicated to Japan's history. Aneeta felt excite for being in such a place, more then anxiousness about losing the targets.

"I say we split up," Kita suggested.

"I'll head for one of the history exhibits," Aneeta volunteered, leaving MAL with Kita. "I think he liked history." In actuality, she wasn't sure if he did or not, but she was. She spent who knows how long going through many exhibits, and reading up on the significance of each artifact. She eventually found herself in the dinosaur exhibit, reading about the triceratops. They only had a skeleton of a brontosaurus here, the rest were life like replicas. The triceratops looked so real, she was afraid to to make too much noise as she passed it, not wanting to disturb it while it ate leaves from a bush.

"Hey Aneeta!" Aneeta felt like her heart almost flew out of her chest, that's how caught off guard she was. She also let out a surprised gasp. She spun around and felt her face get hot when she say Jeremy standing there.

"Uh, hey," she responded, fiddling with her ponytail that was now over her shoulder. "Um, what brings you here?"

"I'm here with your friend Tiffany," he answered, coming up to stand beside her. "Didn't she tell you?"

"Um, no she didn't." She prayed she didn't sound like she was fibbing. "She doesn't really talk about that kind of stuff."

" That's a surprise," He chuckled. "I didn't think there _was_ anything she didn't talk about." He looked over at the triceratops, and Aneeta became awkward.

"Um, so, how's your date going?" she asked. "I mean, if that's what it is." She felt herself getting red again.

"Truthfully?" he asked, looking at her again. "Not so well."

"Why?" She was actually surprised by his answer.

"She's nice an all, but..." He struggled to find the right words. "She talks about herself a lot. She flirts a bit, but I don't really pick up on a lot of it, and I can't help but give literal answers. And that's another thing. I can tell she doesn't like to hear me talk. I started talking about some of the exhibits, and she cut me off asking, why someone would wear such a thing?" Aneeta couldn't help but laugh. This made him smile.

"It's nice seeing you not so serious," Jeremy said, looking pleased. "You look so professional at school, as if it's your job or something."

"Well it is my job to get an education," she shrugged.

"You know, this is like the only time I've seen you outside of school related things," he said, looking up thoughtfully. "Well, besides the festival." Aneeta couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt wash over her. She felt so bad. It wasn't like she meant it. How was she suppose to know her parents were taking her there as the big surprise? He said it so nonchalantly, as if it didn't bother him. It might still bother him, and he was good at hiding it, or it actually didn't anymore. She felt like saying something about it, but a deep rumbling roar echoed through the halls.

"What the heck?" Jeremy asked, looking around.

"Ah crap," Aneeta muttered.

"Huh?" The glass behind them shattered, spraying glass everywhere. Aneeta felt her body ready to jump and dodge them, but Jeremy grabbed her, and managed to duck down, covering their heads.

"You okay?" He asked, helping her to stand up again. Glass fell from their clothes as they did.

"Yeah but-" She was interrupted by yet another roar, and they glanced back to see a mutated looking dinosaur behind them. It looked like a T-Rex, but its arms were larger, and held four lethal claws. Large horns curled out of its head like a ram, and random ugly lumps broke through its scaly skin. Throwing its head back it let out another powerful roar, causing Aneeta's head to shake. She instinctively reached for her pendent, but Jeremy was a step ahead of her. He took her hand and pulled her out of there as fast as they could run.

"Wait I-" Aneeta looked back, and saw the creature follow, and it was gaining on them fast. A few more strides and it would have caught them but-

"ROSE AMPLIFIDE SOUND SHOCK!" A pair of headphones appeared on both Jeremy and Aneeta's head, just before power sound pulsed down the hall, causing the dinosaur to back off. Jeremy stopped, and lifted his free hand to the headphones.

"What are these?" he asked, looking totally confused.

"Just keep running!" Aneeta looked on ahead, and saw Kita and Aneeta, or Licorice and Rose, sprinting their way with MAL hovering after them.

"We'll take care of it, just get out of here!" Licorice instructed, stopping in front of them.

"You don't need these anymore." With a wave of Rose's hand the headphones disappeared.

"What are you?" He wasn't even sure how to look at them. "Are you from a circus or something?"

"Yes, and we're here to pick up our pet dinosaur who escaped from us," Licorice nodded, giving Aneeta a little wink. "Now get going!" Jeremy didn't need to be told again. He kept on running until they were outside. _I sure hop they're okay_, Aneeta thought when they were outside. She sat down on a step so she could catch her breath.

" That was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen," Jeremy huffed. "You think that little girl was mocking me when I mentioned the circus thing. _Yes_, she thought.

"I don't know," she replied instead.

"That girl in pink looked kinda familiar," he said. "You seen her before?" _I work with her._

"I don't think so," she shrugged.

"You aren't hurt are you?" He asked looking suddenly worried. "I mean from the glass."

"No, I don't think so," she answered, looking down at herself. She had pants on, and it didn't look like they were torn anywhere.

"I don't think we should stay here," he said, jerking his head down the street. "They'll have to get that thing out somehow, and I don't wanna be around when they do."

"What about Tiffany?"

"Oh, she left a while ago," he chuckled. "She said she 'had to go to the bathroom'."

"Ohh," she nodded, standing up.

"It's kinda funny," Jeremy spoke up after they walked about a block in totally silence.

"What is?" Aneeta asked, wondering what he could mean.

"What just happened in there now that I think about it," he smiled. "Those two looking like weird circus clowns with an animal twist, and that little doll look as if it were floating. You have to admit they lightened the situation. But I will admit that headphone appearing trick was pretty neat." He would have continued, but Aneeta's Mew Cell went off.

"Um, excuse me please," she grinned apologetically, taking it out.

"No problem," he nodded, walking on ahead when she stopped.

"Are you okay?" Aneeta demanded as soon as she answered it.

"Another one bites the dust!" Kita shouted triumphantly.

"Good work," Aneta sighed in relief. "You had me worried."

"It's all good," she laughed. "I walked into Tiffany when I made another round to the lobby, and that's when MAL started going ballistic shouting 'AAAAA!'. More importantly, how are you? How's things with Romeo?"

"No progress if that's what you mean," she sighed. "I don't know Kita. I still feel guilty about the festival thing."

"Then apologize!" she shouted again. "If you are truly sorry, which I know you are, then apologize."

"I don't think he'll forgive me," she sighed looking over to where he stood, acting as if something across the street caught his eye. "He's nice and all but..."

"Just do it!" Kita ordered. "I've gotta go, Tiffany's getting annoyed with MAL. Good luck!"

" Kita wai-" She was answered by a dead tone. _Apologize?_, she thought. _That's it? Could it really be made better by apologizing? _She walked over to him, running what Kita said in her head, while her heart pounded anxiously in her chest._ Can I do it? Will he be angered that I brought it up again? Well he brought it up in the museum, so he shouldn't really get mad..._

"Hey, you know-" Jeremy started when she came up to him.

"I'm sorry!" She was surprised that she shouted it. She looked up at him, who looked back with a confused look.

"For what?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"For the festival," she sighed, looking down at the ground again. "I told you no, because my parents were taking me and my brother out, and I didn't know where. We didn't find out where we were going until we were already there. I'm sorry if I hurt you when you saw me there." They were both silent for a moment.

"I know," he finally said.

"Huh?" It was her turn to be confused. "When I saw you, I mentioned it to Mioko. She said she remembers you saying that your parents were taking you somewhere special at one of your soccer practices. She said that was probably it, so I just shrugged it off. I felt hurt for only like a few seconds."

"A few seconds is a few seconds," she mumbled under her breath.

"But if your parents weren't taking you out that day, would you have said 'yes'?" he asked, looking very interested in what she was going to say.

"I, um, ah..." she felt her face getting hot again.

"How about now?" he smiled, not needing anymore to be said. "Would you like to go out with me on Tuesday since you don't work?"

" I...How do you know I don't work?" she asked, turning the questions on him.  
"Jay," He grinned, pleasantly. _So they were talking about me?_, she thought.

"So will you?" he asked again. "And I'm not taking no for an answer this time."

"Well...you see...um..."

"Just say 'yes' already!" They both jumped at the sudden shout, and looked around to find out who it was. No one stuck out in particular, but Aneeta thought she recognized it.

"You shouldn't argue with raging random voices," Jeremy laughed.

"Yeah..." she chuckled.

"Yes?" he smiled brightly.

"Huh what? No I meant-"

"So, no?"

"Wait no I-"

"So you're saying no to the no which makes it a yes?"

"Huh?" Aneeta's head was spinning from the yes' and no's.

" There's only one thing you can say since I'm not taking 'no' for an answer," Jeremy sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It shouldn't be that hard to say since its only one syllable." Aneeta rolled her eyes, and huffed. _I'm not going to get out of this am I?_, she thought.

"Yes," she finally said, feeling her face get hot again. Her heart was now fluttering in excitement.

"Great," Jeremy smiled in triumph. "I can walk you home, and we can go over the details." She could only nod, as he lead her down the sidewalk. She could have swore she heard cheers from behind her.

\NMM/

"YES!" Kita shouted from an alleyway just near where Aneeta and Jeremy were standing. She was dancing around in circles, while MAL was gliding around her chanting, "MM! LL! MM! LL!"

"I'm sooooooooooooo happy!" Kita cheered. "Am I a matchmaker or what?"

"Not bad little one," Tiffany nodded. "He wasn't really my type now that I think about it."

"You can think?" Kita teased, and actually sounded like she was teasing.

"Did you just say something that sounded nicer then you usually do around me?" Tiffany asked, noticing it too.

"Yeah, well you seem to be rubbing off on me," she shrugged. "but you're still a Stick."

"What is that?" Tiffany demanded.

"Doesn't matter," she shrugged. "Come on! I'll race you to the station." She took off down the street with MAL just behind her, heading a different way then Jeremy and Aneeta, not wanting to disturb them.

"I can't run in these heels!" Tiffany complained, trying to at least attempt a jog. "Or in this mini skirt!

\NMM/

_Preview of Chapter 4:_

_Mewty and the Beast_

Tiffany – Guess what my favorite word in the world is?

Kita – Prada? Gucci?

Tiffany – Shoppingspree!

Aneeta – Um, that's two words.

Tiffany – Whatever. It's still my favorite. So you guys wanna tag along? We could buy you something cute for your date.

Aneeta – You aren't upset about that are you?

Tiffany – Of course not. There's more guys out there than just him.

Kita – I'm suppose to be hanging with my family.

Tiffany – Surely you can miss one day? Please??? It'll give us some girl time!

Kita – I'll see...

Tiffany – YAY! Shopping Spree!!

*Girls transform and pull out weapons*

Wesley – We'll be leaving now.


	4. Chapter 4: Mewty and the Beasts

_Author's Note: My quickest update EVER! I feel so proud of myself. It isn't my longest chapter, but I think it's good._

_Again I didn't do research on what malls Nagoya had. I should have. *Hits self* Anyways, I just named the mall the Nagoya Central Mall(Not very original, but oh well)_

_Please enjoy :D R&R please!_

Chapter 4: Mewty and the Beasts

The only thing that could make the work day any worse was if it rained, and to Aneeta's dismay it did. She found herself taking all the orders and running out all the food, because she was afraid Tiffany would complain or insult more customers. By the end of their shift, Aneeta felt even more exhausted then she felt after soccer practice. She slumped lazily in a chair, while Tiffany swept the mop here and there, not worried about cleaning every inch.

"Um Tiffany?" she asked.

"Yes?" Tiffany took this as an opportunity to stop working so she dropped the mop back into the bucket.

"You're not mad about um, me and Jeremy are you?" She stared at the unevenly washed floor, feeling a bit guilty.

"Of course not," Tiffany replied, rolling her eyes. "I wasn't really into him anyways. I just jump at the chance with a guy, cause I get bored of them easy." Aneeta felt a little awkward hearing that piece of information.

"You know what I like to do on rainy days?" she asked, looking suddenly happy.

"Shopping?"Aneeta sighed rolling her eyes, glad to be off the guy subject.

"Yeah," She smiled. "How'd you know?"

"Just a wild guess," she replied rolling her eyes again.

"I know what we could do today!" Tiffany squealed, shifting from one foot to the other in excitement, waving her hands up an down. _Let me guess..._, Aneeta thought.

"Female bonding!" She cheered. Aneeta almost fell of her chair when she herd it. She couldn't believe what Tiffany just said.

"Female...Bonding?" Aneeta repeated, making sure she heard it right.

"Yes, female bonding," she nodded excitedly. "You, me, Kita, and the Nagoya Central Mall!"

"But Kita's doing her family bonding," Aneeta said, lifting an eyebrow. "She missed yesterday because of the museum, so she has to be there today."

"That is totally weird though, how you guys ended up going the same time we did," Tiffany laughed, looking totally amazed. Aneeta sighed of relief, glad she didn't ask further questions, and of annoyance for her not putting the pieces together.

"So shopping it is!" Tiffany announced, shooting a fist into the air. "I'll go call Kita." Leaving the mop and bucket behind, she went into the kitchen to use the phone. Aneeta let out another long breath and rested her elbow on the table. She hadn't been a Mew any longer than a week, and already her life had changed so much. She had the DNA of the Indian Bat in her system, she had superpowers so she could fight aliens, she had her first part-time job here at the cafe, she had a date with Jeremy, and she was developing what she hoped to be friendships with Kita and Tiffany. Real friendships. She's surprised she hasn't done anything to mess them up, and hopes she doesn't.

"Aneeta!" Tiffany stuck her head back out of the kitchen. "Do you know Kita's number?"

"Isn't it in your cell?" Aneeta sighed, but couldn't help but smile.

"It's in the lounge," she whined. "I don't feel like going to get it." Aneeta rolled her eyes and reluctantly got out of her chair.

\NMM/

"I cant!" Kita shouted through the phone. "I've gotta beat my sister at _SORRY!_ This weekend game is _SORRY!_ And I've gotta have my revenge!"

"Can't you get revenge on her tomorrow or some other time?" Tiffany sighed, looking aggravated. She and Aneeta had the phone in between them, so they could both hear.

"NO!" Kita cried, shocked at what she said. "How could you suggest such a thing? Bad enough I missed out yesterday!"

"It's a game," Aneeta groaned. "Come on. How can you pass up an opportunity to get free clothes?"

"I can't....FREE?" Kita shrieked, totally caught off guard.

"Yeah," Tiffany nodded. "I just got my allowance today, so I got money to burn. So I thought why not by you guys something. We were gonna pick out something cute for Aneeta to wear on her date."

"I so wanna be there for that!" Kita whined, sounding torn between the two things she really wanted to do. "Hold on a sec."

"I knew that'd get her," tiffany grinned, winking at Aneeta. The two of them waited patiently, hearing muffled voices come through the phone.

"I can come!" Kita cheered, returning after several more long moments.

"Okay, so you want us to come pick you up?" Aneeta asked, feeling suddenly very excited/

"I'll be waiting.

\NMM/

Pacing angrily back and forth across the roof of a very tall building, Rinya glared at the pathetic city. They went about their business as normal, but little did they know their world would soon be shook to pieces in order to find it. She just had to find it, but she most importantly had to keep those Mew Mew's from getting in her way. No matter what she brought up, they always seemed to take tit down. The frustration of seeing her favorite lizard being destroyed really sent waves of resentment through her system.

"I will defeat those Mews," She told herself. "I will do it."

"If you continue on as you are you won't." Rinya spun around to see Maken standing on the edge of the building, arms held behind his back.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded through clenched teeth.

"Dlender sent me," he replied, not frightened by her attitude. "She wants me to how much progress you've had."

"Well I mentioned to patrol one part of the city before my lizard gave away its position when it was hungry," she sighed. "The Mews then found it and killed it. Like all my other pets."

"Perhaps you should take another approach to it," he suggested.

"Oh, I am," she smiled, a plan suddenly coming to mind.

"Do not fail again," he warned, before disappearing. "Or Dlender will make sure there will be dire consequences."

"Oh I won't fail," Rinya snickered.

\NMM/

"So where do you want to go first?" Tiffany asked when they arrived at the mall, relieved to be out of the rain. Aneeta had been here a million times before, but since Tiffany had offered to spend $100 on them each, she looked at it in a whole new way. The complex was three floors high, with a fountain on the main floor, and statues of various people and animals scattered everywhere, made of purple-tinted medal. The roof was made of glass, so the gloomy sky could be seen, but it didn't sour the trio's mood the slightest bit. There were a million clothing stores, a handful of shoe stores, a large bookstore with a coffee shop inside, a three floored electronic center, a few toy stores and a food court that took up almost half of the first floor. Aneeta was so excited, but still felt uneasy about using someone else's money, so she held back the urge to run off, and followed Kita.

They spent almost a half an hour in this one children's clothing store, helping Kita choose an outfit. She kept changing her mind. First she wanted something cute and girly, then a sporty outfit, then something preppy, but finally settled on a casual outfit.

"I can spend the rest later," she grinned, skipping on ahead with her bag in her hand. "It's time to find Aneeta something for Tuesday!" Aneeta couldn't help but blush a little.

"So what are you guys going to do?" Tiffany asked as they climbed onto the escalator.

"Well, we were going to an early movie," Aneeta replied, playing with her jacket. "Then we were going to this new fast food place."

"Is he paying?" she cocked an eyebrow, and looked very serious.

"W-well," Aneeta stammered. "He offered..."

"Good," she nodded, looking pleased. "That's a good thing about guys; they offer to pay for everything. And when they do, always take advantage of it." Aneeta wasn't to sure about doing that, but didn't mention it as she followed Tiffany into a large clothing store.

"It's perfect!" Tiffany squealed when Aneeta emerged from the dressing room. She'd spent an hour, yes an hour, putting the right outfit together, when in the end, it only consisted of three things. She took Aneeta's hand and yanked her in front of the mirror.

"You look awesome," Kita gasped in delight. Aneeta look at her reflection in surprise. She did look nice. She had on a strapless orange dress that stopped at her knees, with a cropped jean jacket over top. On her feet were gray laced boots that gave the outfit its 'edge', as Tiffany put it, and a little bit of height to her.

"It's not the most high fashion outfit," Tiffany said, looking only slightly upset. "But it is so for you. The dress say 'I can be girl', while the boots shout 'But I'm a tomboy on the inside'!"

"I think it's great," Kita grinned in agreement. "But what are you going to do about her hair?" Tiffany pursed her lips in thought.

"You are defiantly not leaving it in this ponytail," she protested, pulling at the elastic.

"Huh?" Aneeta panicked. She always had her hair in a ponytail. Even at home she had it up. She only let it out at the Cafe. Tiffany finally manage to let loose her dark hair, allowing it to fall to her waist. She raked her fingers through it, bringing some over her shoulders.

"Oh yeah, defiantly leaving it out," Tiffany nodded. "Plus he likes it out."

"How do you know?" Aneeta gasped, blushing again.

"He's the type," She smiled. "Oh, you can wear a hat! Oh, one of those cute little caps I saw at that one store. It's not exactly a baseball cap, but...you know...Oh, I'll show you later."

"An orange one," Kita nodded.

"Of course," Tiffany smiled. A weird noise made them both look as Aneeta questioningly.

"Sorry," she giggled. "I'm hungry."

"Then let's eat!" Kita announced. "I'm dieing for some udon."

\NMM/

"Yum!" Kita declared when she joined Aneeta and Tiffany at their table. Aneeta had gotten a tray of sushi, and Tiffany had a salad with dressing on the side.

"You guys wanna go somewhere after this?" Tiffany asked as they dug into their food. She just twiddled her fork in the mound of lettuce.

"Of course," Kita muffled through a mouthful of food. "I still got money to spend."

"We could go to the book store," Aneeta suggested. "There's this one book I wanna get." Tiffany nodded, finally putting some salad in her mouth.

"We interrupted this program for a special news bulletin," came from the speakers of the giant TV's that hung in the center of the food court. The girl's looked over out of curiosity.

"This is Mizuki Onozawa reporting. This footage was just received from the Nagoya Historical Museum."

"What?" Kita gasped, choking on her food.

"The museum?" Aneeta watched with wide eyes as the TV showed two girls with animal parts take on a mutated dinosaur and win.

"This footage was taken yesterday, where this mysterious creature attacked two citizens. Two girls, who look to be members of Tokyo Mew Mew, came to their aid, destroying the beast. There are no certain details as to where the creature came from, but it can be assumed that it is not from Earth."

"Obviously," Kita sighed, but the TV had her full attention.

"Could Japan be under yet another alien threat? Could Tokyo Mew Mew have come to Nagoya? Only time will be able to answer these questions. You're regularly scheduled program will proceed after one last showing of the footage. This has been Mizuki Onozawa." The girls watched the video again awestruck.

"That can't be me!" Tiffany shouted in disgust, breaking the silence. "The camera must add 10 pounds.

"SH!" Kita hissed at her. "Not so loud!"

"What's Tokyo Mew Mew?" Aneeta asked. "You think they may be the first Mews?"

"They must be," Kita nodded in agreement.

"Oh,oh!" Tiffany gasped. "I'm guessing they're from Tokyo!" Aneeta nd Kita stared at her blankly.

"That makes us Nagoya Mew Mew!" Kita grinned, shrugging off what Tiffany had just said.

"Let's try not to bring anymore attention to ourselves though," Aneeta suggested. "Eliot might get annoyed by all the publicity." The others nodded, and as if on cue, a loud yowl shook everything.

"Does it always have to start with a battle cry?" Kita sighed, noticing the pattern. They heard people scream in terror, and everyone around them fed off the panic, and quickly evacuated, with the same amount of fear. Aneeta and Kita ditched their food, and pushed their way through the crowd. Tiffany gathered their bags tenderly, and hid them in a nearby plant. She was about to follow when another feline-like yowl came from up above, causing her to freeze in place. Looking up she saw a giant tiger-looking beast perched on the railing of the second floor. It was black, with yellow lightning shaped stripes, hair sticking out randomly all over its body. She was left alone in the food court staring into its bloodthirsty eyes,

"AH!" Tiffany screamed, finally able to move. She ran in the opposite direction Aneeta and Kita had taken, and the tiger followed, leaping powerfully off of the railing.

"Why me?" She cried, struggling to stay ahead in her high heels.

\NMM/

"Here looks good," Aneeta said, and Kita nodded in response.

"Mew Mew Plum!"

"Mew Mew Licorice!"

"MEWTAMORPHOSIS!" Kissing her pendent, Aneeta was whisked away by a cool night breeze. Her clothes melted away, and her Mewfit appeared peace by piece. Watching the full moon bask everything in a silver light, her eyes and hair became dark purple. Extending out her hands arms, a pair of bat wings and eats extended with her. She used the wings to lift her up into the night sky, and struck her final pose in front of the full moon, as her pendent appeared around her neck.

Kita gave her pendent a big long lasting kiss, and found herself in her candy land. Leaping through the child's dream land, licorice peels wrapped them selves around her, creating her Mewfit. She leaped through the waterfall, dieing her hair red. Catching the cherry, a pair of ears and a tail appeared after she took a big bite out of it. Her eyes turned to red, and she through the cherry up in the air, jumping up onto a stick of licorice, striking her final pose as her pendent appeared around her neck.

"Let's split up," Plum suggested. "Holler if you find it."

"Gotcha," Licorice gave her a thumbs up, before sprinting off. Plum decided to take to the sky, so she could cover more ground easier. She didn't go very far when she caught site of a lion-looking alien. It was orange. Instead of a full main, it only had long white hair coming out of the top of its head, and stuck out like a Mohawk, and curved forward. White hair grew from its face like facial hair, making it look elderly. It also looked kinda shaggy because excess white hair extended from its stomach.

"I found it!" Licorice shrieked. _Huh?_, Plum thought. _That means there's more than one._ The lion saw her, and a growl erupted from its throat.

"Nice kitty," she chuckled nervously.

\NMM/

Tiffany was astonished with how fast she could run in such skinny heels. She had better balance then she remembered. She figured she could keep this up until she got rescued, but then she realized sh was headed toward an escalator.

"And it's going down!" She whined. "I'm trapped! I'm going to become cat food, and end up in a mutant sized litter box! I still never got to buy that bag I saw on the internet from Italy. Or that necklace from India, or-" She felt a sudden jolt, and her cat-like reflexes finally kicked in. When she reached the escalator, she pushed off the ground as hard as she could, and took the stairs 20 at a time.

"Oh, yeah," she laughed stupidly when she reached the top. "I've got Mew Powers." The tiger neared the bottom of the escalator as she took out her pendent.

"Don't mess with the Iberian Lynx!" She warned, kissing her pendent. "Mew Mew Rose! Mewtamorphosis!" She was brought to the beautiful rose garden, and she made her way toward the gazebo. As she did the roses around her helped her to create her Mewfit. Leaping up on top of the gazebo, a strong breeze blew against her, dieing her hair black, and rippling pink streaks through it. Her eyes were now dark pink, and she felt a pair of ears and a tail pop out of her body. Her pendent appeared around her neck, and she struck her final pose.

"Mute phones!" A pair of pink leopard printed headphones appeared on her head, as the tiger started its way up the stairs.

"ROSE AMPLIFIED SOUND SHOCK!" She shouted into her microphone. The tiger remained uneffected, and continued to plunge its way up the escalator.

"WHA?" Rose wailed. "Why didn't it work?" She had to quickly start running again before it caught up to her.

"Maybe it's immune to the frequency?" Plum suggested, swooping down to glide along side her. "You're a cat, it's a cat. You're not effected, so maybe it's not effected either."

"Then I'll increase the frequency," Rose huffed, becoming tired of running.

"If you do that, you'll be hurting yourself along with it," Plum sighed.

"Then what do I do?" She demanded, rounding a corner, and nearly running into a statue.

"Try projecting your voice into the headphones," Plum instructed. "Try using them as the weapon instead of a shield."

"Then won't we be the one's being attacked?" Rose looked so confused.

"Put the headphones on the cat," Plum groaned, tired of spelling everything out for her.

"OH!" The light bulb finally went off in her head. She waved her hand and the headphones disappeared from her head, and appeared on the tiger's head. She turned a dial on her microphone, and shouted again "ROSE AMPLIFIED SOUND SHOCK!" The tiger let out a shrilling yowl and collapsed.

"You stunned it!" Plum shouted in excitement, stopping. She was about to summon her jungle chuck when Licorice ran into view, carrying her paint brush, with a leopard hot on her tail.

"LICORICE RIBBON PAINT BLAST!" Rainbow paint shot out from her brush, wrapping around the tiger, causing it to thrash around before finally disintegrating.

"There's another one?" Rose gasped, seeing the leopard.

"And a lion," Plum added. "I've got an idea though." She took off into the air, summoning her jingle chuck. She stretched it as far as she wanted and dropped one end so it dangled just above the floor. She started flying in the opposite direction Licorice and the leopard were going giving her chuck a few shakes, causing it to jingle. The leopard stopped its pursuit on Licorice and watched the bells go by. It couldn't control its inner cat instincts, so its eyes widened and followed.

"That's amazing," Licorice laughed, finally able to stop running. "Even alien cats like things that jingle." She readied her brush as Plum brought it around again.

"LICORICE RIBBON PAINT BLAST!" Paint blasted the leopard, causing it to snap out of its kitty-trance, but not soon enough. It disintegrated as the tiger had.

"One more," Plum sighed.

"How do we get it to come out?" Rose wondered.

"I could be a distraction," Plum volunteered holding up her jingle chuck.

"Yeah, we'll go hide," Licorice grinned. "I've got a plan!" She pulled Rose along, and hid in the nearest store. Plum nervously looked around. She wasn't sure where the lion was going to come from. Making the chuck small, she used it as a skipping rope, keeping up a steady beat. Just when she thought it wouldn't fall for it, the lion leaped from the third floor, and landed only a few feet away from her.

"EEEK!" she screeched, jumping back a bit. It eyed her evilly, and opened its mouth, revealing a row of abnormally sharp teeth. Come on guys, she pleaded silently, swallowing a lump in her throat. Everything suddenly went black, and two spot lights came out of no where. One shone on her and the lion, and the other was on Rose.

"Welcome viewers," She winked at no one in particular. "and welcome to Mew Idol! Oour first contestant will be singing a Tom Jones classic, and is dedicating it to that hunk of feline muscle over there." Plum and the lion stared at her in disbelief. What was she doing?

"Don't forget your Mute Phones big boy." She blew a kiss at the lion, and headphones appeared on its head. "So without further delay, here's Mew Licorice singing _'What's New Pussycat?'_!" Rose stepped out of the spotlight, and Licorice stepped in with Rose's microphone.

"What's new pussycat? Woah, woah, woah! What's nee pussycat? Woah, woah woah!" She sang into the microphone. _Wow, she is good_, Plum thought. Too bad the lion wasn't enjoying it. It was rolling around in pain. Plum saw this as her opportunity, and leaped into the air creating some distance between her and the lion.

"PLUM NIGHT PIERCE!" She swung her chuck at it, and it instantly straightened, piercing its chest, fading into nothing.

"We have a winner!" Rose declared. "Our first ever Mew idol is mew Licorice!"

"Thank you, thank you," Licorice bowed, trying to look humble, and catching a rose bouquet that was thrown at her. "You're too kind!"

"Over doing it much?" Plum laughed.

"Never," she grinned in response.

\NMM/

Rinya was fuming, watching the Mews finish off her last cat from the roof.

"HOW!?!" She growled. "How could they beat them? There were there! THREE! Oh I'm gonna-"

"Go see Dlender." Maken appeared beside her, and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes.

"She wants to see you," He spoke calmly. Rinya took one last frustrating look at the Mews, and vanished with him.

\NMM/

"Excuse me!" A two men came out from behind a statue, one with a microphone, the other with a camera, and raced up to them. "Are you guys really part of Tokyo Mew Mew?" He shoved the microphone in Plum's face, and the other had the camera steadily on her.

"Uhhh..." she was at a loss for words. She was never really good in front of cameras.

"Of course not!" Licorice boasted, pulling the microphone to her, and the camera followed. "We're Nagoya Mew Mew! Nagoya's very own superheroes!" So much for not bringing anymore attention to ourselves, Plum thought.

"So we have our own team of Mew Mews now?" he asked.

"Of course," she nodded.

"What can you tell us about these ali-"

"Sorry, we gotta get going," Plum interrupted, tearing Licorice away. "You know, we gotta get ready for when the next attack happens."

"These attacks will continue?" The man urged, trying to follow them. Dammit, me and my big mouth, she scolded herself silently.

"Bye!" Taking Licorice in her arms, she took off, and Rose kept up by running.

\NMM/

"We're gonna be on the news!" Kita cheered, while they made their way back to the cafe to tell Wesley and Eliot about the triple cat attack.

"Yeah, hopefully they won't be pissed," Aneeta sighed. They managed to get their bags from their hiding place after turning back to their normal selves.

"Eliot's too uptight about these things," Tiffany huffed as they entered the cafe. "It's not that big of a deal. We save people, so we should get some recognition."

"MAL!" MAL flew from the kitchen, and into Kita, hugging what she could with her little arms.

"Hey there," Kita laughed. "Whatcha up to?"

"MMM! LLL!" She pulled them toward the kitchen.

"Eliot and Wesley are I the basement?" Aneeta asked, making sure that's what she was trying to tell them.

"MMM!" she nodded. They walked into the kitchen, and as soon as they opened the door to the basement, Kita's excited voice greeted them.

"_We're Nagoya Mew Mew! Nagoya's very own superheroes!"_

"Too late," Aneeta groaned, leading them down the stairs.

"What's this?" Eliot demanded before they even reached the bottom.

"We got ambushed!" Kita shouted, trying to look innocent. "We couldn't keep them away."

"Sure you didn't," he said, rolling his eyes.

" Sorry, we gotta get going," her own voice came from the TV screen. _"You know, we gotta get ready for when the next attack happens."_

"_These attacks will continue?"_

"Way to make things more complicated," Eliot scolded.

"I'm sorry," Aneeta apologized bowing her head.

"You don't need to apologize," Tiffany told her, straightening her up. "Give her a break. We beat the cats, so that all that matters really."

"Cats?" Wesley asked, turning around in the chair. "With an 's'?"

"Yup," Kita nodded. "There was three of them!"

"I'm surprised they didn't show it yet," Eliot commented looking at the Tv just as a mutated cat showed up on the screen. "Oh, there it is."

"Be happy we at least handled ourselves well," Tiffany snapped.

"You screamed like a helpless little girl," Kita snickered.

"What did you say?" Tiffany sneered. Kita laughed and ran back up the stairs with Tiffany right behind her.

"Keep those two in line," Eliot warned her.

"I am," she nodded. _At least, I think I am...._ She picked up her bags again and went back up stairs, with MAL right behind her.

\NMM/

_Disclaimer: I give full credit to Tom Jones for creating such an awesome song._

_Song used: What's New Pussycat? - Tom Jones_

_Preview of Chapter 5:_

_Small But Mewty_

Aneeta – Please, oh please, oh please let nothing go wrong!

Kta – Yeah, you got a daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate. Aneeta and Jeremy sitting in a tree...

Aneeta – There's also my soccer game I've gotta worry about!

Tiffany – Oh, isn't it some semi thing?

Aneeta – Yeah semi-finals

Tiffany – Oh, so I bought this dress for nothing?

Kita – Let's work outside!

Tiffany – Picnic!

Wesley – I'll whip up something special!

Girls – HEY! This is Preview is for Mews only!

Eliot – What are you going to do about it?

*Girls transform and pull out weapons*

Wesley – We'll be leaving now.

Kita – Go Aneeta! Cafe, working, Soccer player, Cute boy dating girl by day! Secret alien fighting Mew Mew by night!

Aneeta – You guys do that stuff too.

Kita – Not the dating part. I think boys are too gross.

Tiffany – And I don't play soccer. Can you say 'gross grass stains'?

Kita & Aneeta – Gross grass stains!

*Girls leave and MAL pops in*

MAL – MMMMMM! LLLLL!(Translation: I'm gonna help out! I'm a part of the team too!)

_Author's Note: This is in case you didn't get what Tiffany meant when she said she bought the dress for nothing. My school has dances called Semi-Formals or Semi for short. So when she heard the word Semi, she thought of a dance._


	5. Chapter 5: Small But Mewty

\AN/

_I got the name for the chapter from the saying "Small but Mighty". Just thought I'd let you know since it doesn't sound a lot like it._

_Also I'm done choosing Mews, so I'm not accepting anymore. Congrads to those whose Mews will be appearing, but never fear those who weren't chosen I've come up with a way to use your Mews in my story. ;) You'll just have to wait and find out how. And no, I will not be revealing whose Mews were chosen. You'll have to wait until they appear._

_:P Enjoy_

_WARNING: Long chapter!_

Chapter 5: Small but Mewty

"Rinya," Dlender spoke, looking down on the small Denan in disgust. "You have failed to locate it."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, shivering under her strong gaze, "but those Mews."

"No buts!" Dlender shouted, causing the entire room to shake. "We've been here for one human week. Surely you could have found it by now."

"I-I haven't had a lot of time to spend scouting," she stuttered. "I'm been spending most of my time choosing pets to descend on the area, and trying to think of ways to avoid the Mews. They spoil everything!"

"I don't want to here excuses!" she snapped, pulling her up by one of ponytails. "You are a Denan! We are powerful beings!"

"Not as strong as the Zexice," Rinya grunted, kicking her dangling feet. "That's why we're here aren't we? To find what the Zexice left behind?"

"Don't you smart mouth me!" Dlender growled, venom ripe in her words. She swore at her in their language, and threw her across the room.

"Vlushtim Saths Udhels Lpe..." she chanted, creating light in her clenched fist. Rinya's eyes widened in fear, and she cowered against the wall.

"Yzfums Gdadil Rf-"

"Dlender!" Maken appeared between them, and covered her glowing fist with his.

"Don't waist your strength," he whispered. "She can be punish with other methods."

"Are you going to defy me too?" she spat, not letting the power slip.

"No," he replied. "I'm trying to keep you safe and healthy until we find it. If you use up what power you have left, then you will only perish faster." She glared dangerous daggers at him, but could hear the truth in his words. Dlender calmed down, and the light vanished. She almost collapsed from the great effort it took to summon spell.

"You are now in charge of scouting," she told him, turning her back on them. "and you may take care of Rinya's punishment."

"Yes Dlender," he said, lowering his head. She strutted out of the room without another word.

"Thank you," Rinya whispered, relief on her face.

"Don't thank me," he snapped, glaring at her dangerously. "I'm gonna make you wish she actually disposed of you." Fear took over her expression again, and she shivered uncontrollably.

\NMM/

"I thought flying pigs was ridiculous," Rose sighed. "But flying hamsters? Come one now." Plum and Rose were surrounded by a swarm of hamsters that were buzzing around their heads.

"Jingle Chuck!" Plum whipped out her weapon, and began to whip it around at the flying buzzards.

"Get back!" Rose squeaked whacking one with her microphone. Plum managed to whack quite a few out of the sky.

"This is gonna take too long!" Plum growled. "There's too many!" Rose kicked another in the head with heel of her pump, causing it to disintegrate.

"Not very strong little aliens are they?" Rose said, staring at where the hamster had once been.

"I have an idea!" Aneeta said, stretching out her chuck. She ran over to Rose, and tied the chuck to her hand.

"What are you doing?" Rose gasped.

"I'm gonna whip you up into the air, and you're gonna walk all over these creeps," Plum grinned.

"Can you actually do that?" she panicked. "Are you strong enough? Wont it snap? How will I-" Before she could say anything else, Plum whipped her jingle chuck up, throwing her up into the air. Rose screamed as she was being twirled around in circles. She kicked out her feet in panic, not realizing what she was doing, but managed to hit a hamster every time, lowering their numbers greatly until they were all gone.

"Gotcha!" Plum managed to catch Rose when she was done swinging her chuck around.

"Don't...do...that...again," Rose groaned, holding her head.

"You did great," Plum grinned.

"Thanks for coming," Rose sighed, standing on her own two feet.

"No problem," Plum smiled . "It's what I'm here for right?"

"Yeah, but aren't you afraid of being late for school?" Rose smiled, changing back to her school uniform.

"Crap!" Plum shouted. "I can't get there in 5 minutes Unless...!" She looked over her shoulder at her wings.

"You're on the soccer team," Tiffany pointed out. "You're good at running, so you could sprint all the way there!"

"It would take 10 minutes if I sprinted," Plum sighed, staring at her blankly. "I could use my wings."

"That could work," she nodded. "Then get already! Shoo!" Plum sighed, and took off into the sky. _Please let me get there in time_, she silently prayed.

\NMM/

_I'm so glad I made_, Aneeta thought to herself, as she unlocked her locker to her lunch. She had managed to fly all the way to school without gaining any unwanted attention, and get into first period before the bell. It was the fastest she'd ever flown before, and it felt nice defying gravity, and traveling at a fast speed.

"Aneeta!" Aneeta pulled out her boxed lunch and looked down the hall to where she heard her name being called. A cheery girl with mahogany-colored hair that was thick and wavy and rested on her shoulders, was jogging down the hallway, waving excitedly.

"Hey Ammara," she smiled when she came near. "You ready for the game tomorrow?"

"Yeah I am," she nodded stopping just short of knocking her over, "but that's not what I wanna talk to you about."

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Aneeta asked, tilting her head in surprise.

"You and Jeremy!" she cheered, causing a few people to turn their heads. "How come you didn't tell me? I had to hear it from him at kendo practice yesterday." Aneeta had forgotten about that. Ammara was brave enough to be try out for the kendo team, and she actually made it, making her the first girl in Yokota Secondary History, to make the kendo team, or for being allowed for that matter. She had to argue her points to the coach and principal in order to get in. It help that she was a great debater. She was also on Aneeta's soccer team.

"Um, well, I guess it slipped my mind," she shrugged, blushing.

"How could something like that slip your mind?" Ammara demanded, putting her fists on her hips. "You're going out with the coolest guy ever! Well....okay second coolest."

"Does the first happen to be 'Matt'?" Aneeta asked, trying to get the questions away from her.

"How do you know about that?" Ammara gasped, taken by total surprise.

"Well I hear you talk about him enough during practice," Aneeta shrugged.

"True true," she nodded. "Anyways, don't change the subject. You're dating Jeremy!" She couldn't hold back, so she squeezed her tightly in a bear hug.

"Well, we aren't anything official," Aneeta said, blushing even more. "It's just one date."

"Yeah, but then it'll turn into another date, and then another," she grinned. "You two will be so cute! It's about time you got a boyfriend. So he told me about the date you guys planned. I'm sorry, but I must object to the movie you are seeing. You guys should being something romantic, not an action movie like X-Titans. Goodness, guys these days need to be more romantic."

"I'm the one who actually suggested X-titans," Aneeta said, looking down. She thought it would be too weird for them to go see a romantic movie.

"Ohhh," Ammara nodded, looking her up and down. "But still, he should have tried steering you towards a better movie. You made it too easy for him to get the movie he wanted."

"He actually did suggest another movie," Aneeta said, fiddling with her box.

"Wow, it's like you guys switched roles," Ammara laughed. "Usually its the guy who doesn't want to go see a romantic movie." Aneeta shuffled her feet. She was becoming very uncomfortable talking about this.

"Well, sorry to rush off, but I promised I'd go meet some girls at the corner store," she smiled. "I just wanted to get some background information on the situation, and I couldn't really ask him since he was talking to his buddies when I overheard him. He sounds really excited about the date. Good luck to ya." She didn't wait for a reply, but continued on her way down the hall. _He's excited?_, Aneeta thought, heading for the roof with a smile on her face.

\NMM/

"How?" she huffed, running down the sidewalk. "How could this happen? And to me? ME? This never happens to me! I'm the most punctual person out of my family! How could this happen?" Aneeta was trying her best not trip as she hurried down the street, her hair loose, and tailing behind her. She was wearing the outfit Tiffany picked out for her, minus the orange hat, because they had forgotten to pick one up after the cat incident, so she had on an orange hair band, she was excited, she was nervous, but most of all, she was late. Kita nagged her about it during the whole tutoring session, and on the way home, then her brother took over by following her around when she was getting ready, asking her questions as she went, then her dad overheard and started asking questions. When she thought she was home free, her mom walked in asking why they were following her around. They told her, and then she bombarded her with all her questions and advice, before she was finally able to run out.

It was 5:10, and she was suppose to meet him at 5:00. Guilt was aching her body more than her running. When the street they were suppose to be meeting at came into view, she breathed a sigh in relief, but gasped it in again when she saw he wasn't there. Stopping on the corner, she took the time to catch her breath, and looked around in all directions, but he was no where to be fond.

"I can't believe this," she sighed, leaning against a tree. "What? Is he getting back at me for the festival thing? I thought he was over that. I guess he wasn't. I can't believe I actually thought he wanted to give this another shot. He-"

"Sorry I'm late!" she heard someone shout. Hope fluttered in her chest, as she turned around, and saw Jeremy jogging toward her.

"I'm so sorry I kept you wait," he repeated, stopping in front of her, trying to get back his breath.

"No, its okay," she said. "Um, I was actually late too. I just got here."

"You? Late?" He asked, looked at her bewildered.

"Yeah I know," she chuckled. "Are you hiding something?" She just realized he was holding a hand behind his back.

"The reason I was late," he smiled, holding out a single yellow rose. Aneeta could only stare at it, her mouth open slightly.

"The red rose is kinda cliché so I thought I'd go with a yellow one since it looks nice with your hair," he explained. "Which you happen to have out today. It looks nice."

"O-oh, um th-thank you," she stammered, finally taking the rose, and not looking him in the eye. "I-I mean, for the rose, and the hair compliment."

"No problem," he smiled again. "You should leave it out more often. It looks really nice."

"You mean you like it down?" Aneeta almost gasped.

"Yeah," he nodded. _That's exactly what Tiffany said_, she thought. _Wow, she really does know guys._

"I hope this doesn't make us late for the movie," he said, quickly checking his watch. "We've got 20 minutes 'til it starts. Shouldn't take too long to walk there. If we have to, I could always give you a piggy back and run the rest of the way." Aneeta wasn't sure how to respond to that, but nodded. She held the rose with both hands, and kept it close to her face, so she could smell it as they made there way toward the theater. _He gave me a rose..._, she thought sweetly.

"You really sure about going to see X_Titans?" he asked, looking a little uncertain. "_There's other movies out too_." Aneeta thought back to what Ammara said. _Should we go and see something else?_, she thought.

"Actually...,"she said, trying to think of what other movies were out. "Isn't that one romantic comedy out?"

"My Step Sister's Diary?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think that's the one," she nodded.

"It's a comedy yeah, but its more of a Chick Flick than romantic," he explained, with a smile. "So it's a Chick Flick Comedy." She couldn't help but laugh.

"We could go see that one if you want," he said.

"But you just said it was a Chick Flick."

"I don't mind going to see it," he shrugged. "It's up to you." _Should we?_, Aneeta thought._ It's the first time I've ever went to the movies with someone other than my family, and I'm going with a BOY! I figured I wouldn't feel awkward at all if my attention is hooked to an action packed film. This movie may have romantic scenes, and what if there's no one else in the theater? What if we sit in the back???_

"Um, sure," she smiled nervously. "We could go see that one."

"Okay," he nodded, checking his watch again. "Unfortunately that movie is gonna start in 10 minutes, so looks like we got book it." _WHAT!?!?!_ she screamed internally._ Did he have this planned out from the beginning? He must have if he knew when another movie started. _He turned around so his back was to her, and bent over, ready for her to climb on. Aneeta hesitated. _I have to get on his back..._, she thought,_...and he's gotta hold me up....and he'll be touching my bare legs...damn this dress! I should have worn jeans! _She gulped down an anxious lump that appeared in her throat, and reluctantly climbed onto his back. He stood up faster then she thought he would, and she nearly fell off, so she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't choke me now," he laughed, his hands cupped around behind her knees. Aneeta blushed, and loosened her grip. _He touching my legs!_, she freaked silently.

"Don't fall now," he grinned, taking off down the sidewalk, zig-zaging through people.

\NMM/

They were about half an hour into the movie, and it actually wasn't that bad. There were some funny parts, and nothing majorly romantic or anything to Aneeta's relief. She didn't want any popcorn, but she did have small drink, which Jeremy had offered to pay for, along with his own drink and a medium sized popcorn. Every so often he'd offer her some popcorn, but she'd turn it away. She decided to rest her hand on the armrest, the arm rest between her and Jeremy. A few minutes later she felt his hand touch hers, and she jerked it away instantly, her heart pounding.

"Oh, I'm sorry," He looked a little surprised. "Didn't see your hand there."

"I-it's okay," she stammered. _Of course he knew my hand was there!_, she shouted silently. _He tried to hold my hand! ACK! Why did I pull my hand away? Wait to go Aneeta!_ She felt her face getting hot again, and was thankful that the theater was dark. Without warning she felt a light pop on the sides of her head and back. _What the...?_, she thought.

"Is there something on your head?" he asked, reaching out and almost touching her bat ears.

"Oh ho, its nothing," she quickly said, shooting up from her seat and nearly spilling her pop.

"Um, I've gotta go to the bathroom!" she replied nervously, a little too loud, placing a hand on her head, hopefully concealing her ears. "I'll be right back!"

"SH!" people around them hissed. Aneeta dropped her drink in a cup holder, put her rose on her seat and dashed out of the theater, her hands on her head. Good thing she had the jacket on, or her wings would have stuck out completely as well. She ran out into the lobby, and felt a major heading coming on.

"Not again!" she grumbled, running into the bathroom. Locking herself in one of the stalls, and the full effects hit her. She could here everything again. She could here screams of fear from one of the theaters, laughter springing from another, and she could here people criticizing a movie from the back row. Surprisingly, she could here Jeremy. He was talking to himself in a low mumble.

"I hope I didn't scare her off," he sighed, gnawing on a couple popcorn kernels. "Maybe I shouldn't have tried to hold her hand. I hope she didn't just use going to the bathroom as an excuse to ditch, like Tiffany did. I hope she comes back."

"Go away stupid headache," Aneeta groaned holding her head. She suddenly felt bad. She didn't want him thinking all that. She was just dealing with a little more than other girls her age did. Like heightened hearing, that cause her major migraines, and animal parts popping out. It took a few more antagonizing minutes before it finally went away, and her ears returned to normal. She quickly left the bathroom, and headed back into the theater. Anxiously, Aneeta walked down the isle Jeremy was seated in, and saw he finished the rest of his popcorn, because his hands were empty, and one was rested on the armrest between their seats. _Stay calm_, she thought to herself. _Just stay calm_. Taking a deep breath, she tried to settle her thudding heat.

"Sorry about that," she smiled. "I guess I drank too much, too fast." Jeremy only smiled at her and as he moved his hand from the arm rest, she caught it with hers, and interlocked their fingers. She felt her face get hot again, and faced forward, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw a surprised look on Jeremy's face.

"S-so what did I miss?" she stuttered slightly, trying to keep her cool.

"Well," Jeremy began, sounding happy.

Little did they know, sitting a few rows behind them was MAL. She had followed them the entire way here, with the intention to help their date go well. Sitting in the theater, she saw no opportunity to really help, so she helped herself to some snacks. She was sitting in an extra large bag of popcorn, eating small pawfuls of popcorn, and drinking from an extra large straw that she didn't have to lean over to use. Eliot and Wesley didn't give her any taste buds yet, but she enjoyed the hour and a half of leisure. She didn't digest food either, but it was disintegrated instantly once it reached the area her stomach would have been. When the movie was over, she ditched her post and food to follow Aneeta and Jeremy closely.

\NMM/

Aneeta was so happy. She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. The date was turning out pretty good. After the movie, they walked to this new diner a few blocks down, holding hands the whole way. It was a very small place. There were a few booths inside, and plenty of tables with umbrellas outside. She and Jeremy sat outside, and MAL perched at the top of their umbrella.

"You can order anything you like," Jeremy smiled, looking at his menu. "It's on me."

"I've got money," Aneeta said. "I could pay for myself."

"Yeah, but I'm the one who asked you out," he explained, "so it's only polite to pay for the meal." I can't let him pay for everything, she thought. "I have to come up with a compromise.

"Alright, then I'll pay for dessert," she nodded. "and don't say you've got it covered too, because I'm feeling bad about you paying for everything." Jeremy thought about it for a few seconds, looking straight into her eyes the entire time. Aneeta did her best to keep up her gaze, and not look away in nervousness. In those few seconds, she saw him in a whole new way. He had a really handsome face, and his hair seemed to frame it well. His bangs stopped just above his eyes, but below his eyebrows, accenting the bright look of his blue eyes.

"Deal," he finally said. She only nodded, looking down at her menu, butterflies in her stomach.

Up above, MAL was listening in on their conversation, and an idea popped into her head. She clapped her paws excitedly, but stayed where she was, waiting for the right moment. Down below, the two of them were making small talk, talking about family, school, the sports teams they were on, even about the Cafe. When the waiter finally brought the Fish and Chips Aneeta ordered, and the hamburger Jeremy ordered, MAL put her plan into action.

Staying above the umbrellas, she leaped from table to table, making her way to the doorway leading inside. She waited for a waiter to enter before she swooped in, hiding behind a plant's leaves. Keeping low to the ground, she left her hiding spot, zooming across the room right into the kitchen, and perched at the top of a shelf. A ton of scenarios of how to operate her plan flew through her mind within a second, and she chose the best one. As soon as the cook turned his back, she dove down and snatched a serving tray, heaving it up to the top of the tray. She spun back around again, and picked up a pen and napkin before returning to the shelf. With the pen in both of her paws, she fumbled to write down the table number on the napkin. A waiter came in with an order for some sundaes, and the cook went right to making them. He made them quickly, and placed them on trays. When he turned around again, MAL carried her tray down, and placed it with the others. She managed to move two sundaes onto her tray, and throw down some money Wesley had her carry, and hide before another waiter came in. Without even looking at the tray, the waiter picked up MAL's tray and went out into the lobby, with MAL following. It was there he checked the napkin, but didn't notice the money. He only shrugged and MAL sneaked out and perched on their umbrella again, and watched as the waiter came up to them.

"Your dessert," He announced, placing each sundae in front of them. They were barely half way done their meals.

"We didn't order these," Jeremy informed him.

"Well it..." the waiter looked at the tray again, and his eyes widened when he saw the money. He looked back at them with a quick smile and tilted the tray so they couldn't see it.

"On the house," he said, bowing his head before taking off.

"Wow," Jeremy laughed. "Looks like there's a higher power trying to keep you from paying."

"I'll just tip the waiter then," she shrugged. She ditched the rest of her fries, and went right for the strawberry sundae.

"MMM!" MAL cheered, clapping her paws and twirling on the umbrella.

"Not bad," Aneeta smiled amusingly, "but not as good as Wesley's."

"That's not biased at all," Jeremy said sarcastically.

"Just because I work there doesn't mean I have to like their food," she said waving her spoon at him. "Jay like the cake didn't he?"

"He's a kid," he pointed out. "Kids like anything if it has chocolate in it."

"That's true," she agreed giggling.

"You act so much differently then you do at school," he smiled, watching her with his head in his hand. _He mentioned that back at the museum_, she thought.

"Is that a good thing?" She asked, feeling self conscious.

"I'd say its a good thing," he replied. "Your showing another side of yourself. At school you have this powerful presence. You're so calm and collected, and business-like, and a lot of people admire that."

"A-admired?" Aneeta's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Of course," he said looking at her a little confused. "A lot of girls say how much they'd like to be like you. You get amazing grades, you're talented, and you went to Tokyo for a literary competition! They also say you're a bit intimidating."

"ME?" She squeaked, unsure if she heard him right. "How am _I_ intimidating?"

"Like I said you have a powerful presence," he shrugged. "I guess it just translates to some people as intimidation. And makes it hard for them to approach you." That could also be why I don't have friends at school, she thought, stirring her spoon in the sundae.

"But outside of school, you seem more open, with less of a guard," he said still looking at her. "You also seem happier, and vulnerable to your surroundings, and I have to say red is a nice color on you." Aneeta blinked at him confused, and looked down at herself to make sure.

"I'm not even wearing red," she replied.

"No, but you blush quite a lot," he grinned playfully. Aneeta could feel her face getting hot again, so she looked down, hoping she could hide her face with her hair. He noticed...., she thought, feeling very embarrassed.

"I can add to the list of things I like about you."

"List?" she whispered in astonishment, not thinking he'd hear her.

"Oh, well, um..." his voice trailed off and Aneeta looked up to see him looking slightly embarrassed. She couldn't help but smile.

Up on the umbrella, MAL was doing a victory dance, doing little pirouettes, moon walking, a few disco moves, and other random moves. She got too close to the edge though, and her wings didn't open fast enough, so she fell. She fell just as a waiter was walking by with slices of pie on it. She hit the edge of the tray, causing it to flip off of the waiter's hand. MAL fell flat on her face, and the pie slices landed on Aneeta's back.

"AH!" she gasped in surprise.

"I am so sorry!" the waiter apologized. "Something knocked-" He looked around to find what hit the tray, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. MAL had quickly scurried under the nearest table to avoid being scene.

"Next time carry it with two hands," Jeremy snapped. He was up and using napkins to wipe the pie out of Aneeta's hair.

"I-I'll get some paper towels," the waiter stammered, running inside. Aneeta just sat there, shoulders slumped, unsure of what to say.

"Well the pie only got in your hair," Jeremy informed her, gathering her hair in his hands. "You're clothes were saved." _Yay_, she thought unenthusiastically. _That's what I get for wearing my hair out. Why'd I listen to Tiffany? This is going to take forever to fix..._ They waiter returned with paper towels. Jeremy used them to continue cleaning off her hair as best he could.

"Y-you don't have to do that," she stammered nervously. It felt nice having him run his fingers through her hair though.

"It's alright," he replied. "It's practically all out now, but it left your hair sticky."

"Great," she sighed out loud.

"Again, I am very sorry," the waiter apologized again, bowing his head.

"It's okay," she smiled. "Things like this happen." She took off her hairband, seeing no point in wearing it anymore.

Under the table, MAL sulked feeling awful. Looking at the commotion she caused made her feel guilty and horrible for messing up Aneeta's date. She rubbed her face with her paws shamefully before flying away.

\NMM/

"Today was ...eventful," Jeremy grinned. It was just past 8:30, and they were nearing Aneeta's house.

"Yeah," she replied, chuckling nervously. She had her rose in one hand, his hand in the other, and her hair up in a sticky ponytail. Besides the few mishaps, like running out of the movie, and getting pie spilled on her, she actually enjoyed herself.

"I had fun," she smiled.

"Me too," he smiled in agreement. "I guess now's a good a time as any to ask you on a second date?"

"Yeah, a second date sounds great!" she said with more excitement then she thought she would, and blushed slightly when she realized it.

"Do you know when you're free next?" he asked, looking very happy. They now stood outside her house.

"Not really," she replied scratching her head. "Tomorrow's the soccer game, Thursday I was spending time with Jay, Friday's work, and all weekend I have soccer and work..." She felt bad having such a crammed schedule.

"It's okay," he shrugged., with a look of understanding. "We'll see each other at school, and we could have lunch together."

"Yeah," she nodded, still feeling bad. _Hmmm..._, she thought. _Maybe..._

"Soccer practice doesn't start until 11:00 on Saturday," she said. "Maybe we could get breakfast?"

"That's sounds good," he nodded, his expression becoming lighter. "Well I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow.

"Yeah," she replied, not sure of what else to say. _Oh my goodness_!, she freaked. _This is the part where the guys usually kisses the girl goodnight! But what about the no-kissing-on-the-first-date rule? My mom told me I should follow it? Should I? Should I tell him that I wanna follow the rule? Is it even an official rule? Will he think I'm a baby? Will it push him away? _Aneeta felt her heart rate pick up as these thoughts raced through her mind. Instead of leaning over and kissing her like she envisioned, he lifted her hand he was holding up to his lips, and lightly kissed it, not taking his eyes off of her. Aneeta couldn't exactly categories the look in his eyes, but it made her heart skip a beat, and her face burn up.

"Good night Aneeta," he smiled handsomely, before making his way down the street. She could only stare after him, her mouth hanging open. It took her a good ten seconds before she could finally move again. She realized she was holding her breath, and knew she'd explode if she let it out. Dashing down the small walkway leading to her house, she jumped up the few steps to the front door, and fumbled with her keys to get the door open. When she finally found the right key, she shoved it into the door, and rushed inside, slamming the door behind her.

"AHHHH!" she screamed utter happiness. "YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! He likes me! He really likes me! And we held hands! He _kissed _my hand! Oh how gentlemanly! I don't think I'll ever wash this hand again! And he gave me a rose! Such a beautiful rose! EEEEEEEE!" She was now dancing around, when she heard someone clear their throat. She froze in mid leap, and turned toward her family, who were now standing in the hallway, looking at her with various looks.

"H-hey there!" she grinned nervously, whipping her head.

"You are such a girl," Jay sighed, looking very annoyed with her.

"Honey, why does your hair look stiff?" Georgia asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," she chirped, taking the stairs by two. "Good to be home!"

"What do you think happened?" Denis asked, staring up the stairs after her.

"I don't wanna know," Jay said, sticking out his tongue. "I can't believe she's a normal girl that gets giddy over guys. If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have taken Jeremy to the Cafe."

"So you set this up?" Georgia asked, looking at him with curiosity. Jay looked up at her, then over at his dad.

"I'm gonna put myself to bed!" he grinned, running for the stairs. "No need to tuck me in!"

\NMM/

"I'm here!" Kita announced, walking into the cafe. She barely made it int two steps before being hit in the chest by a speeding MAL.

"Whoa!" she cried, stumbling back a step.

"What's wrong MAL?"

"MMM! LLL!" She cried, hugging her tightly. "LLLLLLLLLLL!"

"Okay settle down," Kita sighed, going over to a table. She placed her bag on it and sat MAL next to it.

"Alright, take a deep breath and explain slowly," Kita instructed, seating herself at the table. MAL took in the instructed deep breath, and jumped onto her feet.

"MM, MM!" Mal began, by spinning around and showing her newly grown bat ears, then spun again and her ears went back to cat ears, but her hair was now a rich brown.

"Alright something to do with Aneeta and Jeremy," Kita said, understanding her. "I'm guessing it's about their date yesterday?" MAL nodded, and continued explaining the events of yesterday in the same matter. She was even imitated the waiter when he walked by Aneeta, and reenacted her epic fall. She even showed how Jeremy cleaned the pie out of Aneeta's hair.

"Awwwww!" Kita cooed. "What an amazing date! You should have stuck around to find out how it ended." MAL slapped herself in the face with her paw.

"Yeah, I know, you feel guilty about spilling pie on Aneeta," Kita smiled sweetly. "But don't you see? By doing that, you had Jeremy get closer to her, and even touch her hair! He was probably itching to touch it, and you gave him the perfect excuse to!" MAL thought about this, and saw where she was going.

"And it probably gave Aneeta goosebumps of excitement when he did," she grinned. "So some good came out of your mistake. So, don't beat yourself up about it. And kudos on the sundae idea. It was really clever."

"MMM!" MAL giggled.

"You can understand all of that?" Kita turned around and saw Tiffany standing in the doorway.

"Yeah," Kita nodded.

"I got a headache just hearing to her, let alone trying to figure out what she meant," she groaned, holding her head.

"Well if you spent more time with her maybe you pick up on what she's saying," Kita said, picking up her bag. "On second thought, I don't think you could. You hardly understand what I say most of the time."

"Oh, migraine!" Tiffany complained, not picking up on what she said.

"Or even listen," she sighed.

"I hate migraines," she huffed. "They are so ugly." Kita rolled her eyes, and MAL mimicked her.

"Oh yeah," Kita gasped. "I want to ask Eliot something." Sh hurried into the kitchen with MAL zooming behind her, and Tiffany reluctantly following.

"Oh, hey Wesley," she waved excitedly.

"Oh, good afternoon," he greeted, preparing a cake.

"I'll ask you instead, since you are more likely to say yes," she grinned, skipping over to him.

"Okay, shoot," he smiled.

"You know how Aneeta's game is today, and it's in the field behind the cafe?" she began, shifting from one foot to the other in anticipation. "Well, I was thinking we could serve people outside today! So people can enjoy an afternoon snack and watch the game! It'll bring in great crowds for our business and spectators for the game!" Her eyes sparkled in excitement, and she felt as if she was going to burst.

"That's a great idea," Wesley replied, looking excited himself.

"YAY!" Kita cheered bouncing around the kitchen.

"What's a great idea?" Eliot asked, coming up from the basement.

"We're gonna serve people outside at the soccer game!" Kita shouted, hugging him.

"Oh really?" he smirked. "Then who's gonna take out tables?"

"What?" she cried.

"You don't expect our customers to sit on the ground do you?" he questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"Awwww," Kita slid to the floor in sudden depression.

"I just got a fresh manicure," Tiffany informed them, holding her hands out. "I'm not carrying anything."

"Poopy on your nails!" Kita growled, depression gone and shoving her back out into the lobby.

\NMM/

As usual, Aneeta was the first to arrive at the field. She wasn't sure how she could keep her head straight during the game. Her mind kept wandering to the day before. She barely had any sleep last night too. One, because she had another super hearing headache, the other was because of her excitement. She was nervous and excited about seeing him at school, but she didn't' really get a chance. His kendo practice ran late, but she managed to get in a morning greeting, and at lunch Ammara snatched her away and had her tell her and some other team members about the date. After school she had to rush to get Jay and get home to get ready for the soccer game, so she didn't see him then either, even on her way to Jay's school. So she had the heavy weight of disappointment on her shoulders as well. She even wore her hair down for once.

"Hey Aneeta!" she heard someone shout. She looked toward the Cafe and say Kita and Tiffany carrying a table.

"Hey!" Aneeta waved, jogging over. "What are you doing?"

"We're gonna serve people at the game today," Kita grinned, putting down the table.

"And we've gotta do the grunt work," Tiffany whined. "Look! The polish is chipped! She stuck her index finger in Aneeta's face.

"Oh quit your complaining," Kita stuck her tongue out at her.

"This manicure coast me over 3000 yen!" she snapped. "And I can't set up another appointment until next week."

"So you guys are going to carry everything yourself?" Aneeta asked, ignoring the nail issue.

"Yup," Kita nodded, dropping it as well. "At the rate we're going it'll take forever."

"Oh! Tell us about your date!" Tiffany giggled, forgetting about her nail as well.

"Yeah!" Kita agreed with a huge grin. "How'd it go?"

"Well," Aneeta began, her face getting at little red. "It was amazing and...eventful."

"Eventful doesn't sound good," Tiffany glared at her disapprovingly. "Tell us about the eventful stuff first."

"Well, we were in the middle of the movie theater," she started. "At one point I freaked out because he tried to hold my hand, and my bat ears and wings popped out."

"Oh my gosh!" Kita gasped.

"Yeah," she nodded. "i quickly got out of there because I felt a headache coming. I told him I had to go to the bathroom."

"You don't tell a guy that!" Tiffany shouted. "Especially straight out like that! He'll think you're ditching him. And why would you get worked up over him holding your hand? It's not like he tried to make out with you or something." Aneeta blushed in embarrassment.

"So what else happened?" Kita pressed, giving Tiffany a hard look. Aneeta then told them about "The Flying Pie" incident, which Tiffany showed more disappointment toward, and Kita didn't look too surprised, but laughed just the same. She went on to tell them about the good aspects, like the rose, finally holding hands, and the things they talked about, which had Kita awing, and Tiffany finally smiling. She didn't, however, tell them about the piggyback, because she figured Tiffany would scold her again, and say something about guys making up excuses just to touch you and stuff.

"But what about when he walked you home?" Kita demanded, becoming impatient. "What happened?"

"Well, we made plans for a breakfast date on Saturday," Aneeta grinned for the nth time, "and he kissed my hand when he said good bye."

"AWWWW!" Kita squealed. "That's old-school romantic!"

"That is a good sign," Tiffany nodded. "It shows he's got respect for you. Either that or he's just playing with your head." Aneeta blinked at her blankly.

"Don't freak her out," Kita snapped defensively. "Of course he's got respect for her. She's great! And he's great! You're MFEO!"

"MFEO?" Tiffany and Aneeta repeated looking at her with strange looks.

"Made for each other," she grinned.

"We've only been on one date," Aneeta said, blushing again.

"Oh you guys are great together," Kita grinned. "No worries. I see you guys lasting a long time."

"Oh, and you're suddenly an expert?" Tiffany asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"Nope," she smiled shamelessly. "But I've got a gut!" Aneeta couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, looks like most of your team is here," Kita pointed behind her. Aneeta turned around to see girls dressed in the same green and purple uniforms as she was.

"And we still gotta move all those tables," Tiffany cried. "My poor nails!"

"Actually, I just came up with a great idea," Aneeta grinned proudly. "It can help you guys move those tables and chairs out here."

"Really?" Tiffany gasped, looking at her as if she were a savior.

"Yup," she nodded, turning around and heading back to the field. "Hey Coach!"

\NMM/

The lobby of the Cafe was cleaned out within 10 minutes thanks to the soccer team. Aneeta had asked her couch if they could help move furniture outside for spectators/customers. She said it could help toward their jogging warm ups. The coach thought it was a good idea and agreed. Grabbing the last chair Aneeta headed for the door, when she was intercepted by MAL.

"Oh, hey MAL," she smiled. "Are you gonna- Hey what's wrong?" MAL was looking at her teary-eyed.

"What's wrong?" she asked again, seating herself on the chair.

"MM! LLLLL!" she wailed, hugging her neck. "LLLL! MMM!"

"I'm sorry I don't understand you," she sighed. "I sure wish Eliot would give you a voice box." MAL floated back so she could see her face.

"LLL," she said, and a pie appeared in her hand. "MM," she took a few strands of Aneeta's hair in the other, and held them close together.

"Pie...and my hair," Aneeta said out loud. "How do you know about that? I just told Kita and Tiffany about it. MAL made a downwards motion with one paw, and threw the pie to the side.

"Wait...," Aneeta said, catching on. "It was you who knocked the pie out of the waiter's hand?"

"MAL," she nodded shamefully. "LL! MM!" She put her paws together, and stared at her with watery, pleading eyes.

"Of course I'll forgive you," Aneeta smiled. "It was only an accident."

"LLL!" MAL cried, hugging her tightly.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say you were also the one who got us the sundaes," she smiled.

"MAL!" she grinned, giving her a small solute.

"That was a very kind gesture," Aneera said. "Thank you, but I'd appreciate for my next date, you'd stay behind."

"LL," MAL chuckled, scratching her head.

"Aneeta!" Kita stuck her head into the empty cafe. "You're team is looking for you. I suppose MAL told you huh?"

"So that's why you didn't look surprised," Aneeta laughed.

"Yeah, she came to me this morning, and told me all about it," Kita nodded. "Come on MAL, we could use your self with organizing the seating. Your good with that stuff right."

"MMM!" She nodded, giving her a salute.

\NMM/

"Come on dad!" Jay urged, jumping out of the car. "I think it's started already."

"I'm coming," Denis laughed, getting the lawn chairs from the trunk. "You go on ahead and find us a spot."

"Okay," He nodded, running on ahead through the trees. Sure enough, the crowd was cheering, and the girls were running down the field with the ball. There were a bunch of tables set up with people sitting at them, being served by Aneeta's friends. _That's a cool idea_, he thought running past them.

"Dang it," Jay huffed, reaching a bunch of people seated in lawn chairs of their own.

"Don't worry, no one's scored yet," someone said next to him. He looked and saw Jeremy sitting there.

"Oh hey," he smiled. "How's it going?"

"Not bad," Jeremy said. "You do the assignment I gave you?"

"Yeah," he huffed. "Aneeta had me do it."

"That's just like her," he smiled.

"So how'd your date go yesterday?" Jay asked abruptly.

"Didn't she tell you about it?" he wondered, cocking an eyebrow.

"It was hard to understand her through all of her squealing," Jay shrugged._ Oh shoot_, he thought. _Maybe I shouldn't have said that._

"I just wanted to hear it from a guy's perspective," Jay quickly said when he saw Jeremy's smile grow.

"Perspective?" he laughed. "Wow you really are Aneeta's brother."

"Yeah," he sighed.

"Who's your friend?" Denis asked, coming over with their lawn chairs.

"This is Jeremy," Jay said. "He's my tutor, and he's the one who went out with Aneeta yesterday."

"Jeremy Dowy," Jeremy said formally, and standing up to shake his hand.

"Very nice to meet you," Denis smiled, returning the hand shake. "I heard things went well yesterday."

"Oh great," Jay mumbled, unfolding his lawn chair. "Aneeta's not gonna be to happy about this."

"Well, besides her get pie in her hair, yeah, it went really well," he nodded.

"So that's what happened," he said, seating himself in his chair, and Jeremy did the same. "She was too embarrassed to talk about it, and thought something bad had happened, but when I thought otherwise when she was singing in the shower." Jay slapped himself in the forehead.

"She never sings in the shower," Denis laughed. "So it was a surprising first. She isn't the best at it, but she at least isn't tone deaf."

"Aneeta's gonna hide in a cave and never come out again," Jay mumbled, as his dad went on and on.

\NMM/

"Alright girls," Coach Brinks said, bringing the girls in for a close huddle. The game was almost done, and it was still 0-0. Aneeta took in deep breaths, and squirted a water bottle over her head.

"We've only got 5 minutes to score," she continued. "Here's what we're gonna do." While Brinks went on into her detailed plan, Aneeta was half listening and surveying the crowd. They had a large turn out, which was thanks to Kita's brilliant idea. All of the tables were filled, and many even just pulled their lawn chairs over and sat in small circle, not minding to put their plate in their laps. She looked around to finds her brother. He'd come to every game, whether her parents had joined or not. She spotted him, and smiled, but it faded when she saw her father talking breezily with Jeremy.

_Oh god_, she thought. _Oh god! He;'s talking to him! They're talking to each other! He's probably telling him stuff about me! Embarrassing stuff about my childhood no doubt. Goodness, we've only been on one date! Why is everyone making a big deal out of ONE date? _She got pulled back into the huddle when her name was mentioned, and she took in her instructions. She was still freaking out when she got back onto the field about her dad and Jeremy talking, and she missed the throw in, when the ball came at her.

\NMM/

"Oh no!" Kita gasped, watching what happened. "I think Aneeta's loosing momentum!"

"No, it's because of that," Tiffany said, pointing over at Jeremy talking with an adult. "She's freaking out about Jeremy talking with her dad. Having your boyfriend meet your parents can be really nerve-wracking, but having him meet him this soon, and without her there to steer her father from embarrassing conversations makes it even worse."

"She freaks out about a lot huh?" Kita said, looking sympathetic. "We need to do something!"

"Do what?" Tiffany asked.

"I don't know," Kita shouted, "but we gotta do something! She's not focusing on the game, and her team may lose because of it! It's up to us to save the day!"

"How?" Tiffany sighed, folding her arms.

"I don't know," Kita groaned, sinking to the floor.

"MMMMM!" MAL flew in she thought she felt a mew nearby, and wanted to tell them.

"What do we do?" Kita cried. "The team's future depends on us!"

"No need to be so dramatic," Tiffany sighed, rolling her eyes.

"MMM!" MAL cried disparately, she waved her paws up and down trying to gain their attention.

"Oh MAL," Kita sniffed, finally looking at her. "What are we-?" Seeing her wave her hands around gave her an idea.

"I'm got it!" Kita cheered, springing to her feet. "I'm gonna need your skills Tiffany, and your cuteness MAL." She took the two and ran back to the cafe.

\NMM/

"You getting too tired?" Ammara asked, running over to Aneeta when the ball flew out of bounds.

"No, I-I'm okay," she huffed, shaking her head.

"We don't have much time left," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We're gonna pull the triple. Can you handle being number 3?"

"I-"

"Go Aneeta!" she heard from the sidelines. She looked over and say Tiffany and Kita holding green and purple pompoms. MAL was standing on the ground in front of them, dressed in a green and purple cheer leading outfit, waving her own pompoms as if she was a mechanical toy.

"What a cute doll," Ammara laughed. "So you gonna be 3?" Aneeta smiled again at her friends, before turning to her teammate.

"Actually, I'll be two," she said. "Cho can be 3."

"You sure?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yup," she nodded. "Let's do this." The two of them set off to their spots on the field. The ball was thrown in, and Ammara brought it up the field, zipping past a couple girls before passing it up to Cho. Aneeta moved up near the goal. Cho passed it back to Ammara who kicked it up, and headbutted it over to Aneeta when she got close. Aneeta hit it up with her knee, and bicycle kicked it at the goal, purposely aiming for the goal post. The goalie had dove for the ball, when it hit off of the post, leaving the rest of the net open, and Cho was there ready to receive the ball when it came back down, and kicked it into the net. The crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers. Aneeta rolled off of her sore back, and was almost knocked over again by Ammara and Cho.

"We did it! We did it!" They shouted, jumping up and down. The referee blew his whistle signaling the end of the game, and the rest of the team stampeded onto the field, joining the huddle.

"Good job girls!" Coach Brinks shouted over the shrieks and cheers. The finals are a week from today in Kyoto. Rest up, and be ready to do some hard training on the weekend."

"We're going to Kyoto!" Cho cheered.

"Booya!' Ammara laughed. Aneeta finally got out of the group huddle, and ran over to the Mews.

"Way to go Aneeta!" Kita giggled, jumping up and hugging her with not just her arms, but her legs too.

"Thanks," Aneeta laughed, almost falling over. "Where'd you get the pompoms."

"A girl has her secrets," Tiffany smiled, looking as if it was nothing. "And I had designed a cute cheer leading outfit a while ago, and was so glad to finally put it in use."

"You design stuff?" Aneeta said.

"Of course," she nodded. "I carry my sketchbook everywhere with me."

"MM! MM! MM! MM!" MAL cheered buzzing up over their heads.

"You look so cute MAL," Aneeta grinned.

"LL," she grinned.

"Yay Aneeta!" Jay jumped up on her head, and this time she actually did fall to the ground with the elementary kids still clinging to her.

"I can't breath!" She gasped, trying to get back her breath. She was laughing so hard. Kita laughed as well, and she and Jay finally untangled themselves. Tiffany was now holding MAL, how was pretending to be stuffed.

"That was so sick!" Jay cheered. "That kick thingy you did was off the hook!"

"That was really impressive," Jeremy nodded.

"Th-thanks," she stuttered, and to no one's surprise(besides her father) she turned red.

"Wow," Denis said, looking surprised. "I haven't seen you this red since Jamie pulled down your you at the family reunion when you were 10."

"DAD!" Aneeta screeched in embarrassment, feeling her face get even hotter.

"You should have heard all the things he was saying," Jay whispered to her.

"Aw!" Kita laughed. "I'd-" Tiffany shoved a hand over her mouth.

"We've gotta go bring the tables back inside," She smiled. "Sorry to leave so fast."

"I-I'll come with you guys," Aneeta stammered, rushing over to the pink furniture. She grabbed two chairs and lugged them toward the cafe. Why do I have to have a dad like that?, she thought. Why couldn't I have a dad who is all tough, and interrogates guys instead of leaking embarrassing stuff about me?

"Hey," a voice jogged up, and fell into stride next to her. She didn't have to look up to know it was Jeremy, who was carrying chairs.

"Hey," she mumbled, not looking. She felt soembarassed.

"You're upset about what he said," He said it as a statement. "Yeah, dad's can be embarrassing like that sometimes. Mine can be sometimes. Like he always mentions this one time back when I was on a kids' baseball team. I was going out to bat, when my mom came up to the edge of the bleachers yelling 'JerryBear! You forgot your lucky underwear!'." Aneeta snorted, and had to stop walking.

"She..actually said that?" Aneeta laughed, holding her stomach.

"Yeah," Jeremy sighed, but with a smile. "It was so embarrassing. My dad had told her not to come to any games, because he knew she'd do something like that. Now he brings it up whenever someone mentions me being in baseball." Aneeta covered her mouth, and she couldn't hold back her laughs.

"What did you do?" she gasped, trying to get her breath back.

"Well, I almost ran back into the dugout," he shrugged. "My dad forced me to go back out there, and I ended up striking out anyways. My mom scolded me after saying I struck out because I wasn't wearing my lucky underwear. My teammates picked on me about it for many years after that. And some still do today."

"You actually had a pair of lucky underwear?" she snickered, hoping she didn't sound too rude.

"Of course," Jeremy said, looking proud. "It's every kid's dream to have a "luck something", and mine just happened to be my red spotted underwear." Aneeta couldn't help but laugh even louder.

"I take it you don't feel so bad now about being embarrassed now?" he asked with a smile.

"Not as much no," she giggled, whipping her eye. She could have sworn she was starting to cry. "But I do feel better."

"That's good. But wow, what a game," he said, changing the subject. "You guys did really well."

"Thanks," she grinned, picking up the chairs again and noticing. "I'll come to your next baseball game, so I can see how you do without your lucky underwear."

"What makes you think is still don't wear them?" he asked, with a smirk.

"Eww!" Aneeta giggled.

\AN/

_Yes, I do own X-Titans, it is my own comic/video game/movies series that I created for my FanFics. If you are interested in knowing more about it, I mention it a lot in my Fic: Sailor Electra. I didn't even realize how close the name is to X-men until today. :P But it is no where close to the same theme as X-men. Yes, I made up the other movie My Step Sister's Diary. I came up with in in like 10 seconds. :P_

_Also, this won't be my only pairing, I have others planned as well. XD I hope you liked it!_

_Disclaimer: I got MFEO from the Barbie Mermaidia movie. I love barbie! XD_

_Preview of Chapter 6:_

_Weekend Amewsment_

Kita – ARCADE! I'm going to the Arcade!

*silence follows*

Kita – Hey where is everyone? Doesn't anyone care I'm going to the Arcade this weekend?

Girl – I do. I'm going too.

Kita – Oh! What are you doing here? This is for Mews only.

Girl – Some guy with blonde hair said I could come in here.

Kita – That means you're a Mew! Sweet! What's your name?

Girl – I'm-

Tiffany & Aneeta – NO!!!

*Run in and cover Girl's mouth*

Aneeta – You can't say yet!

Tiffany – Yeah, I wasn't mentioned before I appeared, so no special treatment for you!

Girl – Sorry. I didn't mean-

Kita – It's okay. Welcome to the Mews!

\AN/

_Who could it possibly be????? *scratches chin* Stay tuned to find out. XD_


	6. Chapter 6: Weekend Amewsment

\AN/

_Okay, I'm not really sure how to say this. I appreciate people leaving review, but I just wish they were....better. Like, tell me what you liked about my chapter, tell me what you didn't, tell if something made you laugh, tell me if something upset you, just please leave something more then just asking me to update soon. That's what they are for, letting the author know your thoughts on the chapter. If you gave me some better reviews, I'd probably update faster because I'd feel happy about the feedback, whether it be good or bad feedback. I put a lot of effort into these chapters, and I'd appreciate a little more effort into reviews. Thank you, now here's the next chapter of NMM._

_Enjoy._

_WARNING: Not much really happens in this chapter now that I've read it over, well besides the new Mew that is. :P_

Chapter 6: Weekend Amewsment

"Arcade! Arcade! Arcade!" Kita cheered from the backseat of her dad's SUV. "I'm gonna get a million tickets! And buy all the prizes!" This weekend, for their family time, her mother suggested they'd head to the local arcade. Not only did they have the hottest games, but they also had singing games, dancing games, guitar games and a snack bar.

"You'd be lucky to get 10," her sister, Ayaka said smugly next to her.

"I can too!" Kita shouted, sticking her tongue out at her.

"Alright, let's see who can get the most tickets," Ayaka grinned. "Loser has to give the winner half of their tickets."

"Deal!" Kita shouted, shaking her hand without even thinking.

"Will you two settle down back there," Their dad, Kaito laughed. "We're not even there yet, and already I can feel the heat of competition."

"We aren't here to compete," Their mother, Naoko protested, shaking her finger at them. "We are here for quality time remember? "

"Yes mom," Kita and Ayaka chimed together, putting big grins on their faces, and a couple halos appeared above their heads. Before Kaito completely parked outside the giant building, Kita and Ayaka had their seat belts undone, and were jumping out of the car.

"Slow down!" Naoko called, but they were already inside. Kita was greeted by a variety of sounds; the shouts of kids either from losing a game, winning it, or for pure fun, sound effects from the machines, and music blaring from the speakers over head.

"I'm going this way," Ayaka smirked, heading over to the Guitar game. Kita stood there thinking about what she could do. She could do the singing game, but they didn't give out a lot of tickets. She still had a while. She went over to buy some tokens, and decided to experiment with some games. She lost horribly at an action game, she didn't get any points at all on this one shooting game, and she tripped over herself on the dance game. With only 6 tickets, Kita gave up. _I'm going to lose, _she thought._ I'm gonna lose miserably. Why did I ever- Oh!_ She was at the back of the arcade now, where a row of basketball hoops were hanging, with a next below it so the balls could roll down. There was a girl standing in front of one of the baskets, her bag at her feet, and a pile of tickets beside that. Her hair was light brown and up in two ponytails. Kita watched as the girl fed the machine a few tokens, releasing the balls, and starting the time. The girl grabbed a ball, and threw it without hesitation, scoring. Kita's mouth fell open in astonishment. The girl got another ball in right away, and another right after that.

"Wow, you're good," Kita whistled, walking up to her.

"Thanks," The girl smiled, scoring yet another basket. With every basket she made, more and more tickets streamed out of the machine. The times finally went off, snapping Kita out of her gaze, and she noticed the pile had become a mountain.

"You want them?" the girl asked, gathering them up.

"What?" Kita gasped. "R-really?"

"Sure," she shrugged, putting her bag on her shoulder, and carrying the tickets over to the counting machine. "I never use them."

"That'd be awesome!" Kita grinned. Strip by strip, the girl fed the tickets into the machine, and Kita's eyes widened as the total kept going up and up.

"There you go," the girl smiled, handing Kita the receipt with the ticket total on it. "Enjoy." Without saying another word, she left Kita standing there, eyes transfixed on the receipt. _Oh my gosh!_, she screamed internally. _I for sure beat Ayaka with this! I win! I finally beat her! With half of her tickets, I'll be able to get something awesome!_ Quickly getting her few tickets counted, she took the receipts and ran to find her sister.

"Have you seen Ayaka?" Kita had found her dad attempting to step on the arrows as they went up the screen.

"Nope," Kaito grunted, almost missing a super easy arrow. Kita rolled her eyes and ran past him.

"Hey, mom," She ran over to her mom who was bent over a console playing PAC-MAN.

"Not now honey," she replied, moving back and forth with the joystick.

"But have you seen Ayaka?" Kita urged, stepping back when her mother suddenly threw herself to the left.

"Not no- YES!" Naoko cheered, throwing her hands up. "I beat the first stage at last 1."

"Mom!" she hissed looking around to make sure no one was staring. "Calm down. Now where's Ayaka?"

"Ah, the second stage started!" her mom ignored her, and resumed her game.

"So much for quality time," Kita mumbled, hurrying away. She impatiently made her way around the arcade again, and finally found her sister waving two receipts at her.

"810 tickets," she grinned. "I really shouldn't have gotten them on separate receipts because I know you-"

"Read 'em and weep!" Kita shouted triumphantly, shoving the receipts in her face. "2,650 tickets!"

"What?" she shouted back in disbelief. "How could you have gotten that many? You had help!"

"You didn't make any rules against it," she smirked. "I learned from my sister to play dirty. Now cough up 405 tickets!" Ayaka scowled, and mumbled something under her breath, but handed over one of her receipts.

"Alright!" she cheered. "Now let's see what I can get with 3000 tickets!" Leaving her sister silently fuming, she skipped over to the prize counter.

\NMM/

"A toast to me!" Kita boasted, lifting her cup. "For finally beating Ayaka!" her parents rolled their eyes, but touched her cup with theirs, while Ayaka glared at her. After Kita had chosen her prize, which was a movie, and collected her parents from their game struggles, she and her family went to the pizza place next door for a late lunch.

"So what shall we do after this?" Kaito asked, while Kita stuffed her face with three meat pizza.

"I wanna go back, and see if I can make it past the first level," Naoko smiled.

"Aw mom," Kita and Ayaka moaned at the same time through their food-filled mouths.

"I think the girls have had enough of arcade games," Kaito chuckled.

"Sadly yes," Ayaka sighed, rolling her eyes at Kita who grinned at her. "I'd like to go get a few books from the library for my school project."

"Oh, I wanna check out the magazines!" Kita cheered.

"So to the library then?" her father asked.

"To the library!" Kita grinned, taking a big bite out of her pizza.

They spent about 15 more minutes sitting there, Kita and Ayaka having a contest to see how many pieces of pizza they could eat. Kita won by one slice, making her feel even happier that she was having a very lucky day. The car ride was filled with oldies music that their father was blaring from the radio, and Kita and Ayaka did their block it out. When they reached the library, Ayaka and Kita jumped out and raced to the door, which Kita reached first, smirking. Ayak rolled her eyes, and left her to find the books she needed.

"I'm going to read some newspapers," Kaito said. "What are you gonna do honey?"

"I think I'll go find a few romance novels," she grinned. Kita rolled her eyes, and walked over to the lounge section, with a comfy couch, and a few armed chairs. She past a section with tables spread out, where kids usually did studying for mid-terms and finals, and sheknew this was where Ayaka would be when she finished finding her books. Kita grabbed a magazine from the shelf next to the couch and dropped herself in the nearest chair. It was an old edition of _Glamly_. Sitting down in a chair, Kita flipped through the magazine, checking out the special features, which was on jeans for different body types. It was refreshing to see girls of many different body shapes modeling. That's why she liked this magazine. It wasn't always worried about sticking their magazine with as many good looking Sticks as they could. It would indirectly give younger girls confidence in themselves, and not to pressure them into having skinny bodies.

Kita went through a couple more old issues, sitting there for over a half hour before she decided she was finished and ready to leave. She put the magazine's back properly, and walked over to the tables, hoping she'd find Ayaka there. She didn't sadly, but she did find someone else. It was the girl from earlier; the one who gave her the tickets. _I never thanked her yet_, she thought. _I should right now._ She put on a big smile and skipped over to her. She had her nose buried in a book, and scribbling down on a piece of paper furiously at the same time.

"Hi," Kita chirped, sitting down across from her. The girl looked up startled, but smiled when she realized who she was.

"Oh, hello," she replied. "Following me are you?"

"No," she chuckled. "My sister wanted to come here to get some books for a project or something. I wanted to thank you. For the tickets I mean. I never got around to saying it. You left all too fast."

"Yeah, I had to hurry and get her," she said. "I needed some books too." She closed the book, and gathered her papers, looking a little nervous.

"I'm Kita Nakamura," she grinned, holding out her hand.

"Kotona Ususaki," the girl's smile was now shy, as she shook her hand.

"What school do you go to?" Kita asked curiously.

"Judina Middle School," she replied.

"I'm gonna go there next year," Kita grinned.

"I'll be going to Yokota next year," Kotona said, tapping her fingers on the desk anxiously. "I have to-"

"There you are Kita," Naoko chimed, coming up to them. "Oh, who's your friend?"

"This is Kotona Ususaki," Kita introduced. "Kotona, this is my mom."

"Hello Mrs. Ususaki," she said nervously.

"Oh, please, you can call me Naoko," she smiled. Kita rolled her eyes.

"Are we leaving?" she asked.

"Oh, your father suggested we go to your work, and get a snack," Naoko said, suddenly remembering what she was here to say. "Why don't you join us Kotona?"

"Um, well I don't know...," her voice trailed off.

"Oh come on," Kita pleased. "It's a very nice Cafe where I work, and I get a discount. Come on, it'll be fun, well, so long as dad doesn't by anything with chocolate. You don't wanna live through that." Kita waved her hand in front of her nose to get her point across.

"So how about it Kotona?" Noako smiled encouragingly.

"Um, sure," Kotona answered reluctantly. "As long as I'm home by 5:00."

"Oh, it's only 2:30, you'll have a lot of time," Kita grinned. "Let's round up dad and sis, and let's go!" Kotona put her things in her bag, and slung it over her shoulder.

"To Cafe Mew Chi Lou!" Kita cheered, causing people to turn their heads, and hiss, "SHHH!"

\NMM/

"Hey Eliot," Aneeta greeted, when she walked into the kitchen in full uniform, with Tiffany right behind her. "What's wrong with MAL?" The little Mew was sitting on the counter with her face hidden behind her paws.

"She just remembered that she felt a Mew's presence at the soccer game," He replied, his arms folded over his chest in annoyance.

"WHAT!?" Both girls gasped.

"She said she got distracted by Tiffany's cheerleading plan," he explained. "I thought I gave her a better memory than that. She's getting distracted from her function too easily. You guys are being a bad influence. You shouldn't even be an influence."

"Bad influence?" Tiffany repeated appalled. "I happen to have you know my fashion sense does not influence badly."

"He meant that the way we act, and the way we treat her distracts her from her job," Aneeta sighetd, looking angry. "What would you like us to treat her as? Just another piece of equipment?"

"That would be nice," he nodded. "Since that's what she is."

"MMM!" MAL wailed, tearlessly. She wasn't able to generate tears.

"You're hurting her feelings," Tiffany snapped, scooping her up into her arms.

"And don't say she doesn't have any, because she does!" Aneeta shouted. "She has thoughts, feelings, and an adorable personality. If you didn't want her to be that way, why did you create her to be?"

"I didn't add those things," Eliot snapped back. "They get in the way of her function."

"But I added them anyways," Wesley smiled, coming into the room with a small box in his hands. "Since she's smart, she would have just developed a personality eventually like Mini Mew did. So I thought, why not just give her one right away?" Eliot looked away, mumbling something under his breath.

"It seems like you two don't agree on a lot of stuff," Aneeta smirked amusingly.

"We agree when it counts," Eliot said, "but when it comes to this stuff, not usually."

"So what if she made a mistake," Tiffany shrugged, cradling MAL. "We all make mistakes."

"She's a machine," Eliot said, narrowing his eyes at her. "If she didn't have theses human aspects to her, she wouldn't be making mistakes."

"Oh, quit making an argument out of nothing!" Aneeta shouted. "What's done is done! You can't change her, and if you could, I wouldn't let you."

"Just because you're in charge, doesn't mean it has to all be your way," Tiffany snapped, sticking her tongue out at him.

"There could be dire consequences if they don't go my way," he growled, getting very angry now. "I've been working on the Mew project for years, so I know how things should operate."

"I think we're getting too far from the point," Aneeta sighed. "The main thing is, at least we know there's a Mew nearby, so we'll have to keep an eye out for her. MAL felt her at the game right? So maybe she will again at the next game, or maybe she's a customer, and is bound to come in here again. Sooner or later we'll find her!"

"She has a point," Wesley smiled. "MAL is more of an android anyways, which is what I was aiming for. Narrowing it down to those two profiles will make it easier, and we could have Mal on lookout today."

"MM," MAL looked up expectantly.

"You can monitor customers today," he said. "If she's a regular customer, she's may show up, so you'll be monitoring, and help me put orders together. To do that thought, you'll need this." He opened the box, and inside was a blue cafe uniform, small enough for MAL to fit in.

"MMM!" she cried, flying over to him. "MM! LLLL! MMMM!" She picked up the outfit, and held it up to herself, dancing around.

"Since you are now employed, you need to get changed in the staff lounge," Tiffany grinned. "Come on."

"LLL!" MAL cheered, following Tiffany out of the kitchen.

"You didn't need to get mad over that," Aneeta said, folding her arms over her chest.

"You don't know how important it is for us to find the other Mews," Eliot narrowed his eyes at her. "It's more pressing to find them this time around."

"Then why don't you explain to me how important it is?" she challenged, glaring at him. He only smiled in response.

"You're attitude has changed a lot," he said. "You're sounding more like a leader." That was a compliment, she thought. He hardly ever throws thous out.

"Well, if I'm a leader, I should know what I'm leading against," she snapped. "What do you know about these aliens we're fighting?"

"Aneeta!" Tiffany shouted, sticking her head back through the door. "You gotta tell MAL about your breakfast date!"

"You'll find out eventually," Eliot said at last, turning around and heading into the basement.

"You should get ready to open," Wesley smiled gently. He followed Eliot, and found him seated in front of the large monitor.

"When do you plan on telling them?" Wesley asked leaning against the wall.

"When it becomes necessary," Eliot replied, not looking at him. "Until then, all they need to do is find the other Mews."

"You figure out how many there are yet?" Wesley moved to stand behind him now, watching coding scroll up on the monitor.

"Yes," he nodded, but looked puzzled. "I unscrambled the signal, and it said 12 animals were sent out, but the scroll said there needed to be 13."

"Did you try sending out another?" Wesley wondered, cocking an eyebrow.

"It won't let me," Eliot frowned. "It doesn't make sense. "We wont be able to find it before the aliens without 13 Mews."

"I guess we'll just have to do with what we've got," Wesley sighed.

"I guess you're right."

\NMM/

"It's a nice turn out today," Kita grinned, leading the crew into the Cafe. The Cafe was practically filled with chatty customers. Couples on dates, families like theirs, talking over what they think would be a better value, friends huddled close together, talking about usual girl things, even people in suits looking for a quick snack before returning to the usual busy business day. Tiffany and Aneeta were running around like maniacs though. Well, Aneeta was, Tiffany was taking her sweet time, fluffing her hair, and adjusting her apron. Aneeta saw them standing in the doorway, and Aneeta motioned for Tiffany to seat them. Tiffany groaned, but came over anyways.

"Welcome to Cafe Mew Chi Lou," Tiffany greeted. "Oh, hey Kita."

"Hello," she half smiled in response. "Table for 5 please."

"There's only tables for 3 and under right now," Tiffany sighed. "But it shouldn't be too much of a wait, since one family is almost done."

"We can wait," Kaito nodded.

"Just have a seat right there," Tiffany motioned toward the fancy cushioned bench that was next to the door. Kita let her parents sit on it. _Age before beauty_, she thought with a giggle.

"So what do you think?" Kita asked, turning to Kotona.

"It's very...pink," she replied, looking around intently.

"Yeah it is," Kita chuckled, scratching her head. "But it brings in a lot of girls, and families with small kids, and even couples."

Aneeta hurried out of the kitchen, giving a family their check, which they paid for right away in cash, giving her a nice tip. She tucked it away, and returned to the kitchen with their dishes.

"You can seat Kita's family now Tiffany," she informed, putting the dishes in the sink.

"I'm on it," Tiffany replied, not sounding at all enthused. "I hate wearing these shoes. My feet ache so bad."

"They're flats," Aneeta said, looking at her blankly.

"And I'm not used to flats," she groaned. "I miss my 4-inched heels." Aneeta only blinked a few times at her as she left.

"MMM," MAL moved her paw in a circular motion beside her head.

"Be nice," Aneeta giggled. "Anything that needs to go out Wesley?"

"Not right now," he said, shaking his head. "You ca-"

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!" MAL screamed at the top of her lungs(or at the highest volume she could) Almost everyone in the lobby turned toward the kitchen. Aneeta only waved at them, and pulled MAL out of view.

"What is it MAL?" she asked.

"M! M! M! M!" she panicked, waving her arms frantically.

"There's a Mew here," Welsey said, looking serious. "Where is she MAL?" MAL flew over to the ledge between the kitchen and lobby, and pointed at the table Kita was now sitting at.

"Is it her sister?" Aneeta asked. MAL shook her head, and motioned more to the left. Sitting left of Kita was a girl Aneeta had never seen before.

"That's our Mew," Wesley said. "Aneeta, go get Kita, and tell her to bring her friend along."

"Alright," Aneeta nodded, heading through the doors. _We found her!_, she thought excitedly. We finally found her. Now there's four of us. This is so exciting.

"Hey Kita," Aneeta greeted, walking up to them. "Are you guys ready to order?" She thought she might as well make it look nonchalant.

"Yes, I'd like a slice of that three layer chocolate cake," Kita's dad grinned.

"Awww dad," Kita and Ayaka groaned in unison.

"I'm just kidding," he chuckled. "I'll have a slice of apple pie please."

"I'll take a slice of cherry cheese cake," Ayaka said.

"I'll a strawberry sorbet," Kita's mom smiled.

"Banana split please," Kita grinned widely.

"Extra whipped cream?" Aneeta asked with a smile, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes please," she nodded.

"And for you?" Aneeta turned to Kita's friend, who was still staring at the menu.

"I guess I'll just have a bowl of vanilla ice cream, with chocolate topping please," she replied.

"Alright," Aneta nodded, writing it down. "I'll just take your menus then. Oh Kita, you wanna come back to the kitchen for a second?"

"Uh, sure," she replied, looking a little confused.

"Your friend can come to," Aneeta smiled. "I'd bet she's like to see our cook in action."

"Huh?" the girl looked up in surprise.

"Come on," Kita grinned, seeing what was going on, and lifting Kotona out of her seat. "Don't wanna argue with Aneeta." The Mews led the confused girl through the lobby, and into the kitchen where Eliot now stood with Wesley, Tiffany and MAL. Wesley had pulled down the blind so no one could see into the kitchen.

"Kotona Ususaki," Eliot smiled.

"How'd you know my name?" Kotona gasped. "Why's the blind down? Are you guys gonna kill me or something?"

"No, silly," Kita laughed. "Why would we do that to a fellow Mew?"

"A what?" Kotona asked, looking at her with a strange look.

"M!" MAL cheered flying over.

"AH-!" Kotona screamed for second before Aneeta slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Do you really want people outside thinking we are killing you?" Aneeta asked, cautiously removing her hand.

"The doll's alive..." she shuddered.

"She's an android," Wesley explained. "She was designed to track Mews and Aliens. She sensed you when you came in."

"MM!" MAL held her hands above her head, creating a ball of energy, and a pendent appeared. She held it out for Kotona to take.

"What's is this?" she asked, taking it.

"It's so you can transform," Kita grinned. "We all have one."

"We have special DNA that is able to fuse with animal DNA," Aneeta explained. "Eliot and Wesley here fused us so we could battle against these Aliens that have been attacking."

"Wait, you mean that Nagoya Mew Mew thing?" Kotona gasped.

"I take it you saw it on the news," Eliot said, not sounding happy.

"Yeah," she nodded. "That's amazing how you guys took out those mutated cats."

"Thank you," Tiffany smiled, looking very flattered.

"And now you are one of us," Kita announced. "You are officially are a Mew!"

"But isn't she suppose to have a Mark?" Tiffany wondered, tilting her head.

"Did you discover any weird markings on your body lately?" Wesley asked.

"You mean like this?" Kotona put her sleeve over her hand, and began rubbing underneath her left eye. When her hand retreated, there was now a pink star under her eye with wings.

"That would be a Mew Mark," Aneeta nodded.

"I found a Mew! I found a Mew!" Kita chanted dancing around the kitchen.

"M! M! M! M!" MAL cheered, flying around over their heads.

"I think MAL has redeemed herself," Aneeta smiled. "She spotted Kotona right away. See, she works perfectly fine."

"Yes, I will admit she did a good job," Eliot nodded. "But I have a question. Were you at the soccer game on Wednesday Kotona?" Everyone turned to her.

"No, I wasn't," she answered, wondering why it was relevant.

"So that means the Mew at the game is still out there?" Kita asked, shoulders slumped.

"I guess so," Aneeta sighed. "But at least we have new team member."

"There's more out there?" Kotona's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

"Yup, and we're not sure how many cause these two didn't count them," Kita shook her head at them disapprovingly.

"Looks like you got a job now Kotona," Wesley said, changing the subject.

"What?" She said in surprise. "I...work here?"

"This is our secret base," Kita winked. "We are normal waitresses by day, alien fighting Mew by Night. Whatah!" She kicked her leg out, accidentally kicking the garbage pail, knocking it over, and all its content out. Everyone froze and stared at it.

"I'm off duty!" Kita shouted, running out.

"I don't work here yet," Kotona, gulped, following her out.

"I'm only the employer," Eliot said, leaving down to the basement.

"I'm the cook, and it's not sanitary for me to pick up garbage then then handle food," he smiled, going into the freezer. Tiffany and Aneeta's eyes met, and dangerous sparks flew between them.

"I got a manicure," Tiffany smirked, flashing her newly painted nails. "I had to get them fixed up from the lifting tables."

"I had a two hour soccer practice," Aneeta said, narrowing her eyes. "I'm already tired, and shouldn't be bending over too much." The two of the glared at each other for a few more moments.

"You know what this means then don't you?" Tiffany asked, clenching her hand into a fist.

"Yes, I do," Aneeta nodded, getting her fist ready. They lifted their fists, the intensity between them growing, then...

"ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!" Aneeta shaped her hand as scissors, and Tiffany's landed as paper.

"Why meeeeeeee?" She whined. "I hate this game! I always loose! It's no fair!"

"Maybe you should wait to change your hand while your throwing your hand down, instead of changing it before," Aneeta grinned, rolling the blind back up.

"So that's why everyone always seems to beat me," she sighed. "Bye bye pretty manicure. Again."

\NMM/

"Hey Kotona," her brother greeted when she came through the front door. He was lounging on the couch, watching a basketball game. "Where have you been?"

"I went to the arcade, then to the library, and then I went with a friend to that new Cafe," she replied, summing up her whole day.

"Oh really?" he asked. "Yumi was trying to get me to go, but I wasn't sure if I'd like the food. Was it any good?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "The chef's really nice too."

"You got to meet the chef?" he cocked his eyebrow at her as she dropped herself next to him.

"They offered me a job," she said, taking the popcorn bowl he had on his lap.

"That's great," he grinned, patting her on the head. "You taking it?"

"Of course," she said, shoving her face with pop corn. "I'm just not sure dad will approve."

"Who cares what he thinks," Shieru scoffed, taking some popcorn. "You do what you want."

"It may get in the way of my studying though...," her voice trailed off.

"I told you to stop worrying about studying," he sighed. "You're still a kid. Enjoy it."

"I'll try," Kotona mumbled, slumping.

"So are the other workers nice?" he asked, trying to keep up conversation. "Did you meet them?"

"Yeah, I did," she nodded, thinking about them. "They are an....interesting bunch."

\AN/

_Disclaimer: I made references to Guitar Hero, DDR, Singstar, and PAC-MAN, and I do not own any of them. Also I got the jean article idea from Seventeen Magazine._

_I will admit this wasn't one of my best chapter, but hey, we all have that one chapter we sort of slack off on, but I think I left you guys curious. :P Yes, this chapter lacked a fighting scene, but you will find out why next chapter. ;) I hope you all liked it though, and I hope you review. :)_

_Preview of Chapter 7:_

_A Mew's Life: Sports and Studying_

Tiffany(Speaking into her microphone) – Introducing....Kotona Ususaki!

Aneeta – She was submitted by Amethyst Bryony.

Kita – Tell us a bit about yourself.

Kotona – Well I live with both my parents, and my older brother, Shieru.

Tiffany – Oh, is he single? Is he cute????

Kotona – Um, no he's taken, but I don't think he's your type.

Tiffany – Boy is my type.

Kita – What do you like doing in your spare time?

Kotona – Well, I like playing sports, especially with my brother and his friends. I really like playing basketball in the driveway.

Aneeta – I like basketball too. What else do you do?

Kotona – Well....Is it that time already? I'm sorry I gotta go.

*Runs out without another word*

Tiffany – Is she okay?

Kita – I hope so. I'm gonna go find out.

*Chases after Kotona*

*Aneeta and Tiffany look at each other*

Aneeta – Wesley made a new pie flavor. There's only enough for one test slice.

Tiffany – You know what this means right?

Aneeta & Tiffany – ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!

Aneeta – Yes! That pie is mine!

Tiffany – No fair!

*Aneeta runs out, with Tiffany following*


	7. Chapter 7: A Mew's Life

\AN/

First ever chapter dedication! XD I dedicate this to Cherrie-Sakura, because when I wrote this chapter it reminded me of what she told me her first kiss was like. XD Love you Chera!

Enjoy!

Chapter 7: A Mew's Life: Sports and Studying

"Maken." Dlender only needed to speak his name for him to appear obediently.

"Yes," he asked, bowing his head.

"Why haven't you been sending out more scouts?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Are you not going to try at all, so you don't fail me as Rinya has done?"

"Of course no," he replied. "I have come up with a new plan. A new way of going about things. It's just taking longer than I expected to set everything up. I didn't want to waste any more pets."

"Well, time is of the essence," Dlender snapped, narrowing her eyes. "I want you to send out more scouts until you are done with your planning. We needn't worry about wasting pets."

"Yes my lady," he replied, bowing low again, before disappearing.

"Soon," Dlender sighed warily, turning toward the window which showed the black abyss of space, dotted with millions of planets. "Soon I'll have it, and I can restore what has been lost."

\NMM/

"I can't believe I'm waiting until the last minute to study," Aneeta grumbled, putting her things in her bag. "I got to do the tutoring thing first before I can even begin studying, and I can't study tomorrow, because its the final game in Kyoto, and we're going all day. Wow. Maybe I'll give Kita an assignment, that way I can study while she works on that. That'll give me some extra time."

"Hey Aneeta!" Aneeta's heart began its marathon at the sound of his voice. A smile slide across her face, when she turned to see Jeremy walking toward her.

"Hi," she greeted, sheepishly, closing her locker. They'd been dating for a week now, but she was still adjusting to having a boyfriend, and being so close to him(metaphorically and physically), and was a little anxious because they still haven't kissed yet.

"Did you here tutoring is canceled?" he asked.

"Really?" she gasped, feeling a weight being lifted from her shoulders. "That's great! I can have more time to study."

"That's exactly why they canceled," he nodded. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over to my place to study together." _His house?_, she thought,_ hoping her surprise didn't show on her face. He wants me to come to his house?_

"Well, I have to pick up Jay....," she began, not sure where she was going to finish her sentence.

"He can come too," Jeremy said with a smile. "I'm sure he'd love my collection of video games."

"But he needs to do his homework first," she pointed out.

"Okay mom," he said with a teasing grin on his face.

"Well, my parents are busy most of the time, so someone's gotta make sure he does it," she said cocking an eyebrow.

"I was just kidding," he chuckled.

"Oh," she replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

"So you're coming then?" he smiled, eyes looking brighter with hope.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm sure Jay would like it too."

"Then let's go get him," Jeremy grinned, taking her hand and leading her to the doors.

\NMM/

The school had been the same as any other day for Kotona. The whole school day she focused on her classes, and finished her homework easily. She wasn't comfortable with being with groups of kids, so she avoided everyone, and ate lunch by herself, but had her sports magazine to keep her company. By the end of the day, she had only one essay for her English class, which wouldn't be that hard since she could speak the language well. Leaving the school alone, she expected to have a quiet journey home, but she say Kita waiting for her with a big box in her hands.

"Hey!" she grinned.

"Um, hi," Kotona replied looking confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Wesley asked me to give you this," she grinned holding out the box. Kotona curiously opened it as it still lay in the little girls' hands, and inside was a Cafe uniform, but a light pink.

"Thank you," Kotona smiled, taking the box from her. "You know you could have just given it to me when I started tomorrow."

"I know, but I wanted to hang out with you today!" Kita announced, jumping up and down.

"H-hang out?" Kotona stammered.

"Yeah, you know, when friends do stuff together," she explained.

"Um, well, I don't know," she said, looking doubtful. She remembered her parents, and how they hated it when she did things at the last minute, especially when it was on a school night.

"Oh, come on!" Kita pouted. "Tiffany's off gallivanting with her posse, Aneeta's getting ready for the finals and studying. I'm left all alone!" Kotona sighed, and scratched her head. She didn't see anything wrong with it, but she wasn't sure if her parents would approve.

"Please?" Kita begged, flailing her arms impatiently.

"Alright," Kotona nodded giving in.

"Yay!" Kita cheered hugging her waist. "So what are we going to do?"

"Would you like to come to my house?" she suggested.

"Of course," Kita beamed, a wide grin on her face.

"I don't live that far from here," Kotona said, pointing in the direction of her house.

"Let's go then," Kita grinned, starting down the sidewalk. "So what's your family like?"

"Well, my parents are nice," she answered hesitantly, "but not as nice as yours. Your parents must be the nicest people in the world."

"I Inherited that gene for sure," Kita grinned proudly. "It skipped over my sister sadly." Kotona couldn't help but laugh.

"Do you have any siblings?" she asked, a grimace on her face.

"I have an older brother," Kotona nodded, with a smile. "He's really great. Sure he picks on me, but he's always there for me."

"Wow, you're lucky," Kita sighed, looking envious. "The only thing my sister's good for is finding ways to beat me. Thanks for those tickets again. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have beaten her."  
"It was no problem," she shrugged. "I never use them anyways."

"Why not?" she gasped, astonished. "You could have a million by now and trade them in for something awesome!"

"I don't really like anything they have," Kotona shrugged. "I used them once for a basketball." Still got it too."

"I can tell you're a great basketball player," Kita grinned.

"Learned everything I know from my brother," she smiled. They reached Kotona's house then, and Kita looked it over approvingly. It was a nice two floored house, with a large garage, and a basketball net in the driveway.

"My parents aren't home yet, but my brother should be soon," Kotona explained, unlocking the front door, and stepping into an ordinary living room.

"So what do you want to do?" she asked, slipping off her shoes, and putting the box on the couch.

"Do you have a computer?" Kita asked expectantly.

"I'm not allowed to use my parents," she replied. "but my brother has one in his room."

"Then let's use it!" Kita cheered. "I wanna show you all the stories I wrote and-"  
"I have to wait until he gets home to ask," she interrupted, hoping not to sound rude.

"Oh that's okay," Kita grinned. "Hey! Let's use that basketball you won with those tickets. Wanna teach mt how to make great shots?"

"Yeah," Kotona nodded, feeling very excited now. She absolutely loved playing sports. It was her favorite pass time, and the best part of her day was being out in the driveway playing with her brother, and any friends he invited over.

"Do you wanna borrow some shorts?" she asked, making her way to the back of the house.

"Okay," Kita beamed, following her.

\NMM/

"I'm done!" Jay shouted, slamming down his pencil. The three of them had settled at the table in Jeremy's kitchen. While Aneeta and Jeremy reviewed over their subjects, and quizzed each other, Jay was doing the little bit of homework Aneeta forced him to do.

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking doubtful. "You just want to get the video games don't you?"

"I did it honestly," he said, holding up his papers. "I know if I don't do them right the first time, you'll make me do it over again, which will waist more time."

"Can't argue with that," Jeremy laughed. "Come ion, I'll set you up upstairs."

"Yahoo!" Jay cheered, ditching his homework. Aneeta couldn't help but smile, watching Jay follow Jeremy out of the room. She turned back to her math text book and flipped through a few pages before realization hit her._ Jay's going to be upstairs_, she thought, _and we're going to be down here. Just the two of us. Alone. AHH!_ She felt her heart rate pick up.

"What if he tries something?" she whispered to herself. "He hasn't yet, but we haven't truly been alone yet. We've always been in public. He may try to kiss me! Will I like it? Will I freak out thinking its disgusting? I don't think I'm- AHH!" The phone went off unexpectedly, catching her off guard. She heard footsteps thunder down a flight of stairs and Jeremy appeared.

"Sorry about that," he said picking up the phone. "My mom likes the ringer loud. Hello?" Ah, he heard me, she thought, feeling her face get hot.

"Oh, hi," he said, recognizing the caller. "Yeah, I'm studying with Anneta, and her brother's playing video games....Okay....Yeah, that's fine......I'll ask....Alright...Love you mom." he hung up and put the phone on the counter.

"That your mom?" Aneeta asked, feeling stupid for even thinking about asking.

"Yeah," he nodded. "My parents run a convenient store, and my cousin baled today, so my mom's staying late, and my dad's unloading stock."

"Oh," she replied.

"Yup, so I've gotta hold up the fort an cook," he laughed. "Would you and Jay like to stay for dinner?"

"U-um," she stammered. He said it so casually it caught her off guard.

"Sure," she smiled. "I'm sure Jay would like that too."

"Yeah, more time to play," he nodded.

"I'll just call my dad to let him know," she said, standing. "That way he's not left starving.'

"Sure," he said, motioning toward the phone, before opening some cupboards. "Hope you don't mind spaghetti. The store may get restocked, but sometimes the house suffers."

"Spaghetti's fine," she nodded, taking the phone out to the living room. After a quick phone call to her dad, she returned to find a pot already bowling with water, and a pan of sizzling meat. Jeremy was over the pan, chopping the meat. Aneeta put the phone down, and noticed a jar of spaghetti sauce. She pick it up and inspected it.

"What's in here?' she asked.

"Um, spaghetti sauce," Jeremy replied.

"I meant, what is in the sauce?" she corrected.

"Whatever it says on the label," he shrugged.

"So, basically nothing," she concluded putting it down. She went over to the fridge and stuck her head inside. Satisfied, she emerged with an onion and a green pepper.

"What are you doing?" he asked coming over.

"I'm adding flavor," she replied opening up a few cupboards until she found a can of mushrooms.

"Do you have a chopping block?"

"Yeah, under hear," he nodded, going under the counter and pulling out a white board.

"Thanks," she said washing her hands. Getting out a knife, she got to chopping, while Jeremy finished cooking the hamburger, and boiling the noodles.

"So you excited about the finals tomorrow?" he asked, striking up conversation.

"I'm excited about going to Kyoko," she grinned. "I'm anxious about the game though."

"You'll be fine," he smiled. "You're a great soccer player."

"Thanx," she said sheepishly. "You think this is enough?" Aneeta had finished cutting up half of each.

"Yeah, that looks good," Jeremy said, coming over.

"Just wanted to make sure," she smiled, looking up at him, and her heart jumped when she realized how close their face were. His eyes held a soft gaze as he stared into hers, and a smile was tugging at his lips. Aneeta's heart was running its usual marathon, and she felt it begin to jump hurtles when he leaned closer.

"I did it!" Jay shouted triumphantly running into the room. Aneeta and Jeremy leaned away from each other instantly and turned to face him. Aneeta felt her face burning.

"I beat your score on the Lost Salton!" he cheered.

"You did?" Jeremy replied, sounding surprised.

"I beat it by 500 points," he grinned widely. "Oh, are we staying for dinner?"

"Yeah," Aneeta replied, her voice sounding squeaky.

"YAY!" Jay cheered again. "More time to play!" He ran out again, leaving them in awkward silence. Aneeta turned to back to the counter, and was gathering up the diced food when Jeremy's hand took her chin, and tilted her face up and toward his.

Instead of closing, her eyes widened with shock when his lips cover hers. _Not polite, not polite_, she repeated to herself, barely remembering on of the rules Tiffany gave her because her head was spinning. She finally closed her eyes, and allowed herself to relax, but couldn't help tense up a bit again when his arm wrapped around her waist pulling her closer. _Oh my god!_ She panicked, when she felt his tongue against her lips. _I'm not ready for THAT! This is moving too fast!_ Instead of pulling away, she actually found herself opening her mouth slightly, but it was enough to allow him entrance.

"GROSS!" Jay gagged from behind her, taking the word right out of her head. Jeremy chuckled, and pulled away.

"Then why are you watching?" he asked, sounding amused. Aneeta's face was on fire.

"I actually came back to ask how long until dinner," Jay replied, looking totally grossed out, "but I think I lost my appetite now."

"Oh I gotta check the noodle," Jeremy nodded. He smiled down at Aneeta before going over to the stove. _Oh my god!_ She thought. _That happened. It REALLY happened! I had my first kiss!_ She did her best to contain her composure as she turned back to her food.

\NMM/

"So this hand to guide, and this hand to push," Kita repeated for what seemed to be the millionth time.

"Exactly," Kotona nodded. "Now take a shot." Kita took her stance,a few calming breaths, and launched the ball into the air. It came short, missing the net completely.

"Why can't I just lob the ball?" Kita whined, stamping her foot stubbornly.

"It's best to develop good form," Kotona explained. "If you just lob it, you won't have consistency."

"I'd at least hit the net," she mumbled.

"Giving lessons now huh?" an older teenage boy with darker hair than Kotona rode up to them on a bike.

"This is Kita," she introduced. "Kita, this is my older brother Shieru."

"Hi," he waved dismounting his bike.

"H-hello," Kita stammered, wide-eyed.

"I'd join you guys, but I got mid-terms in a couple days," he explained.

"You study?" Kotona laughed.

"I can't fail now can I?" he smiled. "Nice meeting you." He waved again, and retreated into the house.

"Please tell me you don't have a crush on my bother," Kotona sighed.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Kita gasped, shaking her head. "It's just he scares me."

"Really?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yup," she nodded. "All guys do. If it's not thinking they're gross, its cause they are intimidating." Kotona only shook her head and smiled.

"Come on," she chuckled. "Let's schrimage." The girls managed another half hour together before Kotona's parents returned home.

"Hi," she greeted nervously. "This is my friend Kita."

"Hello," they nodded politely.

"Can I talk to you for a second," her dad asked, motioning for her to follow.

"I'll be right back," she told Kita following them into the house. Kitta nodded, and waited patiently, practicing her shoots, and coming short every time.

"You ready to continue?" Kita asked, energetically when she returned. "You're only 4 points ahead, so I-"

"I'm sorry," Kotona sighed. "I have to take care of some some things."

"Oh," Kita replied, surprised by the abruptness. "That's okay. I'll see you tomorrow at work then?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "You can give me the shorts back tomorrow."

"Okay," Kita said, looking sad. She went back inside to retrieve her things, and left without another word._ Something's up_, she thought. _I gotta figure out what._

\NMM/

"It's so slow," Tiffany complained leaning against the counter inside the kitchen. "Why aren't there more people?"  
"You never work even if there are people," Kita said rolling her eyes. "I hope Aneeta does well today in Kyoto."

"She said she'd call right?" Wesley asked, drying a plate.

"Yup," she nodded. "I made sure she brought her Mew Cell."

"Here's the dishes from table 4," Kotona said, coming in with a tray of dishes.

"Thank you," Wesley smiled, taking them from her.

"I still can't believe she's got a pink uniform too," Tiffany scoffed. "I'm the pink mew here."

"I'm light pink," she pointed out. "You are dark pink. There's a big difference."

"Not to me it ain't," Tiffany

Kita had yet to talk to Kotona about what happened yesterday, and she thought it'd be a great opportunity since it wasn't that busy.

"Come with me," she ordered, grabbing Kotona's arm.

"Um, okay," she replied, allowing herself to be dragged out of the kitchen and into the employees lounge.

"What is it?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow in surprise.

"I'm just gonna come right out and ask," Kita sighed. "Why did I have to leave yesterday?" Kotona looked surprised, and hesitated with her answer.

"I, had to do stuff," she said, fiddling with her apron. "I told you that already."

"What kind of stuff?" Kita pressed, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Just...stuff..." her voice trailed off and she stared at the floor.

"You can tell me," Kita said, looking sad herself. "I'm your friend. I'm here for you." Kotona looked away. Kita suddenly felt patient, and just stood there, looking worried.

"My parents wanted me to study," Kotona replied quietly. "they always want me to study. They want me to do nothing except focus on my school work. They think sports are a waist of time and will get me no where." She looked back at her, and her eyes were filled with tears.

"They don't care about my social life, they only care about me succeeding, and getting high grades," she sniffed. "That's why my brother taught me to play sports, so I can have a way of escaping everything."

"Oh," Kita gasped, feeling stupid for trying to push the information out of her. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"It's fine," she shrugged, whipping her eyes with her hands. "I'm use to it. Not being allowed out late, always having to show my progress on an extra credit assignment...."

"I'm so sorry!' Kita cried, flinging herself at her. "I'm making you cry! I'm so sorry for bringing it up!"

"No, please do be upset," Kotona sniffed, looking down at the strange girl.

"But it's my fault," she wailed. "I'm making you sad!"

"I won't be sad anymore if you aren't," Kotona chuckled lightly. "Deal!"

"Kotona!" Tiffany gasped, barging into the room. "There's a really hot guy out there asking for you!"

"Huh?" she asked confused.

"You know," she sighed. "Tall, dark brown hair, tussled hair, gorgeous biceps."

"Gorgeous biceps?" Kita and Kotona squeaked in unison.

"Are you talking about my brother?" Kotona gasped.

"I think he might have mentioned something about being your brother," she nodded, "but I was too busy checking him out. He's so fine! Please tell me he's single."

"_Please_, quit talking about my brother that way," Kotona pleaded, looking mortified. "It's weirding me out."

"Answer the question!" Tiffany shouted, ignoring her plea. "Is he single or not?"

"No," she sighed. "He's had a girlfriend for 4 months now."

"Dammit," Tiffany scowled. "Looks like I'll have to put in more work, but oh well. Not gonna let that stop me."

"You can't steal someone's boyfriend!" Kita gasped.

"Watch me," she smirked, strutting out of the room, and throwing her hair over her shoulder. Kita and Kotona glanced at each other for a second, then dashed out after her. Sure enough Sheiru was waiting out in the lobby. The two of them dashed past Tiffany to get to him first.

"Hey, Shieru," Kotona greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I come visit my sister on her first day of work?" he grinned.

"Are you going to actually buy something?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Nope," he grinned. "Girly cafes aren't really my scene."

"Then why are you even in here?" she laughed.

"Just to check it out, and, again, see who you're holding up," he shrugged. "I see you guys are slow today huh?"

"Yeah," Kita managed to nod.

"Why does she keep staring at me like that?" Shieru asked, nodding toward Tiffany, who was sitting at a table, showing off her legs.

"Because she's got problems," Kita mumbled.

"Don't worry about her," she snapped, waving her hands in front of his face. "You're here to see me remember? Eyes on me then." She yanked at his jacket to turn him back to her.

"You have a girlfriend remember?" she warned, narrowing her eyes.

"I know," he said, blinking widely, "and I have no intention of leaving her for another girl. I'm a guy though, I can't help-"

"Yes you can!' she snapped again, hitting him in the head.

"Ouch!" he growled, smacking her back on the head.

"Hey!" Kita shouted, kicking him in the stomach.

"Kita!" Kotona gasped, pulling her back.

"That hurt," Shieru grunted, bending over. "You're stronger then you look."

"Don't hit my friend," she huffed angrily.

"We were just playing," Kotona sighed. "It's what we do."

"Oh," Kita said, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"It's all good," he sighed, straightening up again.

"Girls!" Eliot called urgently from the kitchen.

"Gotta go," Kotona smiled, pushing Kita toward the kitchen. "Thanks for stopping by."

"No problem," he smiled waving. Tiffany followed, winking back at him before entering.

"Quit hitting on my brother!" Kotona snapped angrily. "He's got a girlfriend, and its freaking me out!"

"I take it he's noticing," Tiffany smirked triumphantly.

"Kind of hard not to when you're throwing yourself out there," Kita snorted, disapprovingly.

"Well it's the only way to get noticed in this world," she sighed, checking out her nails.

"Can you please focus?" Eliot shouted, gaining their attention. "MAL has located an alien."

"AA! AA! AA!" the little android chanted zooming around their heads.

"So what are we going to do?" Kita asked. "It's still open hours."

"It's very slow right now, so Eliot and I can handle it," Wesley smiled. "You girls go out and find it."

"Can we at least change first?" Tiffany pouted.

"No time girly," Kita growled, grabbing her ear and dragging her out the back, with Kotona skipping behind them and MAL buzzing over head.

\NMM/

"How....much...farther?" Tiffany huffed, struggling to keep up with the two younger mews. They had been running the whole time, following MAL's directions.

"Quit complaining!" Kita shouted over her shoulder. "Come on girl! Move those legs!"

"AAA!" MAL shouted, pointing straight ahead.

"We almost there?" Kotona asked, looking hopeful.

"MM! AA!" MAL nodded, picking up her speed.

"Slow...down!" Tiffany begged, falling even more behind. The other two ignored her, keeping up with MAL. She led them to a large parking lot, filled with cars, behind the mall.

"We ran...all the way...to the stupid mall?" Tiffany gasped, falling to her knees. "This is....ridiculous!"

"Are you sure it's here?" Kotona asked MAL.

"AAAAAA!" She pointed to the other end of the parking lot.

"Better power up now so no one sees us," Kita grinned, taking out her power pendent.

"Mew Mew Licorice! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!" Giving her pendent a big kiss, Kita was surrounded by red light, and her unuform changed into her Mewfit.

"Now you try," she smiled at Kotona, who was staring at her in amazement.

"Um, what do I say?" she asked uncertain.

"Just listen to your heart," Kita grinned, quoting Eliot. "Go with what your instincts say." Kotona held out her pendent, looked it over carefully.

"Just say something already!" Tiffany sighed looking agitated. "It doesn't take that long to come up with something."

"MMMMMMM!" MAL said, shaking her paw at her accusingly.

"Mew Mew Rose! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!" Tiffany gave her pendent a sensual kiss, losing her uniform, and having it replaced by dark pink Mewfit. Kotona finally took in a deep breath and readied herself.

"Mew Mew Cotton Candy! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!" Uncertain, she kissed her pendent, and Kotona was surrounded by a light pink, and her clothes melted away. She was being drifted away on a cloud made of different colors of cotton candy. A strong wind blew, causing a couple little clouds to collide with her body. It wrapped around her, and formed a light pink, sleeveless Chinese blouse and a short skirt that ended smoothly at her knees. She saw a couple sparkly lights on the other end of the cloud, and ran over to find out what it was. On the way, she raised her arms up to catch a couple delicious looking clouds, but they slithered around her arms, and created a couple light pink arm bands, trimmed with white. Her feet suddenly got stuck, and when she pulled them out one by one, there were light pink sneakers with white laces on them. Continuing her run, it began to rain colored blotches. She was only hit by light pink ones, which colored her hair that color, as well as her eyes. The cloud came to an abrupt end, and she fond herself going over the edge. She feared she would surely fall, but a pair of pink wings sprung from her back, catching her and lifting her up into the air. Her pendent appeared around her neck, and she struck her final pose when she landed on the cloud again.

"Oh wow!" Cotton Candy gasped, looking over herself.

"You look pretty sporty," Licorice smiled. "Now we-" She was cut off by an eery squeal and a snort.

"Look out!" Licorice cried dramatically, throwing her hands up into the air, and began running in a random direction. A few cars were sent flying at them, followed by another squeal.

"AH!" Rose and Cotton Candy screamed, taking off after Licorice, the cars just missing them. From behind them they heard the crushing of metal and shattering of glass. Cotton Candy dared to look back, and saw a mutated warthog charging after them.

"It's Pumba gone carnivore!" she screamed.

"What ever happened to slimy yet satisfying?" Licorice pouted, turning when the parking lot ended, running down a row of cars. The drooling hog turned with them, and shoved cars out of its way.

"Why do we always run?" Rose shouted, tears streaming from her eyes. "I HATE running!"  
"We're only little girls!" Licorice shouted back. "It's our first instinct!" Cotton Candy's wings opened up, and she took to the sky. Licorice finally jumped to the side, leaving Rose to be the lone distraction.

"Again, why meeee?" Rose whined, as the hog moved in on her.

"Hey Kotona!" Licorice shouted up at her. "Do as I do! Glitter brush!" A giant colorful brush appeared, which took both hands to hold.

"Um...," Cotton Candy hesitated, trying to think of a good name. "Cotton Candy Rod!" A staff like-object appeared in her hand. It was thin handled, but the end was thick, and stuck out like a hockey stick. It was white, with pink swirls down the handle, and the part that stuck out was shaped like a heart.

"Beautiful!" Licorice commented, giving her a thumbs up, almost dropping her paint brush.

"HELP!" Rose screamed, jumping up suddenly, and doing an impressive back flip over the hog, landing gracefully on her feet. "Or not."

"LICORICE....!" She swung her brush to the side, and spun the brush in front of her. RIBBON...PAINT BLAST!" Pointing the brush at the halted hog, it hit him dead on, toppling him over, and causing him to thrash around in pain.

"Score!" Licorice cheered. "Your turn Kotona!" Cotton Candy smiled, a new found confidence flowing through her.

"COTTON....!" She held out her hand and an orb of energy appeared before her. "CANDY...!" She spun the rod skillfully in her hand, which cause the light of the orb to increase in intensity. "GLOWING..." She lined her rod with the orb, and sung back. "PUTT!" She swung as hard as she could, hitting the orb, and sending it soaring at the hog. It hit him, causing him to disintegrate instantly.

"That was too easy," Licorice huffed, powering down. "That can't be all there is!"

"LLLL," MAL nodded.

"But it was too easy!" Kita growled.

"Maybe it wasn't meant to be strong?" Kotona suggested shrugging. "Like scouts. They are sent on ahead to survey an area while the stronger ones stay behind. They usually are fast."

"So this could have been a scout," Kita nodded, understanding.

"I hate these shoes!" Tiffany complained. "I need heels for this uniform!" The other two only shook their heads, and began their long walk back to the cafe.

\NMM/

"It's Aneeta!" Kita freaked, when her Mew Cell began to ring. Their shift had ended long ago, but they were chilling together in the employee lounge.

"Well answer it!" Tiffany grinned, excitedly. "Put it on speaker." Kita flipped it open, and pushed a button, and the room was instantly filled with the shouts of excited girls.

"Aneeta?" Kita laughed.

"Hey Kita!" Aneeta shouted over the other girls. "We won!"

"YAY!" the girls in the lounge joined the girls on the other end in their celebrations.

"We won 4-2 points!" Aneeta continued. "It was so awesome!"

"Did you score a goal?" Kotona asked, feeling really excited to be talking about scores.

"I got the first three!" she giggled with excitement.

"Way to go girl!" Kita shouted, giving her a salute.

"Did you call Jeremy yet?" Tiffany asked, pushing to get closer.

"Not yet," she answered.

"You didn't tell us how your study date went yesterday!" Tiffany gasped, in realization.

"You can't seriously want to talk about that _now_ do you?" Aneeta asked in disbelief.

"Anytime is a good time to talk about boys," she said matter-of-factly.

"Speaking of boys," Kotona cut in. "She's hitting on my brother, and he's already got a girlfriend."

"Shame on you!" Aneeta gasped.

"As I said before, that ain't going to stop me," Tiffany sighed rolling her eyes. "Stop changing the topic!"

"We didn't," Kita grinned. "We're still talking about boys."

"I meant about Aneeta and her man," Tiffany snapped. "Spill! What happened?"

"Well I'm not going to go into complete details right now," Aneeta sighed, "but we studied a lot, cooked dinner, he kissed me, we ate, played some racing ga-"

"WHAT!?!?!" all three girls screamed. Kotona surprisingly found herself as excited as the others. _It must be a contagious mew thing,_ she thought shyly. They do seem pretty awesome.

"He _kissed_ you!" Kita shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Way to go!" Tiffany squealed. "What kind of kiss was it?"

"I said I'm not going to go into detail right now," Aneeta repeated, sounding just as excited as them though. "I explain more when I get back."

"I expect a full out explanation," Tiffany told her. "Every juicy detail!"

"She needs some privacy," Kita snapped, pulling at her hair.

"OW!" She screamed, and pulled at her bangs.

"Hey!" Kita growled, launching herself at Tiffany's hair. While the two of them got into a pulling hair fight, Kotona held the Mew Cell awkwardly.

"They're fighting again aren't they?" Aneeta asked, sounding annoyed.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Man," she sighed. "They can get along okay for awhile, then something flips, and they fight. I'll let you go now. My friends are pulling the phone away. See you when I get ba-" The line went dead. Kotona closed up the phone, and saw Kita sitting on Tiffany's shoulders, pulling at chunks of her hair. Kotona smirked, and pulled out her pendent.

\NMM/

"I think the team is coming together nicely," Wesley commented, sitting at a table in the lobby with Eliot. "They started off bumpy, but they ironed out their differences." He took a sip of his tea.

"They still got a long way to go," Eliot said, stirring his. The silence among them was disturbed by screaming. They turned to the lounge.

"Still think their getting along?" Eliot asked, putting a few sugar cubes in his cup.

"They're still ironing," he smiled. Tiffany and Kita burst out of the lounge holding their heads, with Kotona walking calmly out with her rod in her hand.

"What?" she teased with a huge grin. "I needed practice, and your heads were the perfect size."

"My head," Kita groaned. "I thought you were nice!"

"I am," she grinned again. "I just really love sports."

"A lot of ironing," Eliot nodded, and they both sipped their teas in unison.

\AN/

Got the spaghetti idea from my memie when I stayed over her house, and got the "Move those legs" comment from my bro. XD I love using this kind of stuff in this story.

Disclaimer: Do not own Pumba! He's awesomess, but I don't own him XD He belongs to Disney, the creator of the Lion King!

Preview of Chapter 8:

The Horrors of Mewgoya

Aneeta – We're going out on a night hunt?

Kotona – That's what Eliot said. He said that the attacks haven't been that life threatening, and he wants us to investigate.

*Tiffany and Kita keep a little distance from Kotona*

Tiffany – So the aliens are getting lazy? What's so weird about that.

Kotona – He's obviously thinking they've got something weird planned. Remember that scout?

Kita – I like the dark! We can tell some ghost stories!

Aneeta – Oh please no. I'm not really a fan of the dark.

Kita – You're a bat! Bats love the dark!

Aneeta – Ironic isn't it?

Kita – Ironic my butt! You are going out ghost hunting tonight!

*Kita drags Aneeta out of the room*

Kotona – I thought the plan was to go _alien_ hunting.

Tiffany – She just got caught up I the night expedition.

*Tiffany looks at Kotona with caution*

Tiffany – So what does your brother like in a woman?

Kotona – He's got a girlfriend!

Tiffany – Again, not gonna stop me.

Kotona – Stay away from my brother!

*Kotona gets out her Cotton Candy Rod*

Tiffany – AHHH!

*Tiffany runs away*


	8. Chapter 8: Spooks of Nagoya

\AN/

I doubt this will be at all scary. :P I just wanted to attempt a ghost chapter. I changed the name of the chapter, because it sounded more appropriate. They are more like spooks instead of horrors. :P

Enjoy!

WARNING: Sorry if any of this freaks you out.

Chapter 8: Spooks of Mewgoya

The Mews decided to meet up after school before heading to their Friday shift at the Cafe. Aneeta picked up Kita from school, while Jeremy walked Hay home for her, then they walked to Kotona's school to pick her up, and met Tiffany at an ice cream parlor.

"You think we should buy the ice cream here?" Kotona asked nervously as they lined up to order.

"Why not?" Kita grinned. "We could use something different. It's not like we're actually betraying the Cafe."

"But what if Wesley gets offended?" She really looked worried.

"He'll understand," Aneeta smiled. "He's nicer then Eliot is."

"I'll have a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate please!" Kita grinned. "Come on Kotona! The cafe doesn't have chocolate dip ice cream cones. This place does."

"Make it two!" Aneeta chimed, taking our her wallet.

"I'll just have a plain vanilla, but on a waffle cone," Tiffany grinned. "At the cafe, they give you bowls to eat out of, but here, you actually eat the whole thing!"

"Well...," Kotona hesitated, playing with her tie.

"Make it three chocolate dipped vanilla cones," Kita corrected. "Come on Kotona! Whip out that cash!" The little Mew tackled her, pulling her wallet out of her purse.

"That's stealing!" Kotona squealed, getting up.

"You know you wanna buy it," she grinned mischievously, taking out some money. Kotona stood silently as the girls paid for their ice cream, and had to have the cone shoved into her hands when it was made.

"Don't think of it as betrayal," Tiffany laughed, as they left the parlor. "Think of it as checking out the competition."

"You'd know a lot about checking out now wouldn't you?" Kita snickered under her breath. Aneeta heard what she said, and couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Isn't it cool how we all work Fridays?" Tiffany smiled, not catching on. "We all have different schedules, but we all are working on Fridays. I'd much rather be hanging out with my friends though, but what can I do?"

"I say we keep it as a tradition!" Kita shouted, waving her ice cream in the air, without it surprisingly falling off. "Every Mew must work Friday night!"

"That's sounds good to me," Aneeta nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Kotona replied, finally eating her ice cream.

"Now that isn't so bad now is it?" Kita laughed, skipping on ahead.

"I guess not," she shrugged.

"Don't worry," Aneeta smiled reassuringly. "Wesley won't mind. He's very understanding."

\NMM/

"You....were eating ice cream....from somewhere else?" Wesley said, looking hurt.

"We were hungry!" Kita whined, looking teary-eyed.. "We didn't mean anything by it!"

"Of course we still love your desserts," Tiffany pouted, looking innocent. "You're the best Wesley!"

"Was the ice cream better than mine?" he asked, looking a little doubtful. None of the girl answered, but looked down guiltily.

"It was that place where they dip your ice cream in chocolate wasn't it?" he asked, looking upset now. Again, the girls didn't answer.

"It was chocolate!" Kita cried, flailing her arms. "Chocolate dipped ice cream! How can you expect us to resist? We're young, and we love sugar!"

"I don't think your helping," Aneeta sighed, patting her head.

"And I think its only you that craves chocolate," Tiffany added. "I try to avoid the stuff as much as possible. Too many calories."

"I told them not to," Kotona glared at them. "Then Kita stole my wallet to pay for an extra ice cream."

"You could have just throw it away," Eliot said, walking into the lobby, arms crossed.

"And waist a perfectly good ice cream!" she gasped, looking insulted. The girls looked at her surprised, then she blushed when she realized how she must have sounded.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, looking down at the floor.

"Don't worry about it Wesley," Eliot smiled, slapping a hand down on his shoulder. "You're still number one in my book."

"Thanks," he mumbled. "I'll go prepare for tonight's shift then." Still looking upset, he left the girls and Eliot, retreating to the kitchen, where he pulled down the blind so they couldn't see inside.

"See!" Kotona shouted. "We did hurt his feeling!"

"I thought he'd understand," Aneeta sighed, looking painfully guilty. "I feel bad now."

"You've got more important stuff to worry about," Eliot snapped, cutting in on their discussion.

"How can you be like that?" Kita snapped. "He's your best friend!"

"Yes, and he is also a grown man," he pointed out. "He won't stay down for long. He's doing what he loves best, and besides, he's heard worse then what you guys said today. Anyways, I've got an assignment for you."

"Like a mission?" Kita's gasped, eyes glowing in excitement.

"I guess you could say that," Eliot nodded. "After your shift today, I would like you girls to go out and scout out any aliens."

"Wait, we get off at 10:00," Aneeta said, putting her hands on her hips.

"So?" Eliot shrugged, folding his arms.

"It's way too late to be gallivanting around the town," she protested, "and it's too late for Kita to be out."

"I don't mind staying out," she chirped. "I like the dark!"

"Anyone else with objections?" Eliot asked, ignoring Aneeta. The other two just shook their heads.

"Then it's settled," he nodded..

"B-but...," Aneeta stammered.

"You're not afraid of the dark are you?" Eliot asked, looking very amused.

"Of course not," Aneeta scoffed, marching off to the employee lounge.

"She's afraid," Tiffany whispered.

"Oh yeah," Kotona and Kita nodded in agreement.

\NMM/

Her body was weak. Her limbs creaked with pain as she changed her position. It hurt just to breath. The door to the cold empty room opened with an annoying squeak, and in stepped Maken.

"What do you want?" Rinya snapped, feeling pain from moving her lips.

"I came to check on you?" he said dryly.

"Oh, making sure I stay in pain?" she asked, not looking u pat him, for she knew it would only send more pain signals to her brain.

"Exactly," he replied, stepping toward her. She flinched, and squeezed her eyes shut. She knew the pain she felt with those small actions was nothing compared to what would happen next. Instead of hitting her over the head like he had three times a day since she stopped doing field work, he took her face in his hand, and lifted it to look her dead in the eye. She opened hers, and stared back with as much resentment as she could, to show he could never truly break her. He frowned at her, but finally released her.

"Dlender says your punishment is over," he said, with his back turned to her. "But you are to remain here until she says." _At least I won't be beat anymore,_ she thought.

"So what do you plan to do?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, causing herself more pain. "Those Mews aren't push overs."

"No," he agreed. "but they are young. And they have their fears." With that, he left her alone again.

\NMM/

"You're staying out later?" her dad repeated, not sounding too happy.

"Our shift is being extended slightly," Kotona replied nervously. "and since its Friday, I need to help with stocking up on things." She hated lieing to her parents.

"You know your mother and I don't like you staying out that late," he said, sounding angry. "And you have studying to do."

"I study all the time," she sighed, "and its not like its a school night."

"And if you cut back on studying, you won't get into a good university," he replied, not sounding pleased.

"Please Dad?" she pleaded. "How would that look on my resume if I got fired for not doing my full potential at my first job?" Silence followed, and Kotona anxiously paced around the staff lounge. She didn't see anything wrong with it. But knowing her father, he was probably coming up with an excuse for her not to, just like he had one for everything else she wanted to do.

"As long as you are home before midnight," he said, sounding very stern. "If you come home at 12:01 you will be grounded. And I mean 12:00 on our clocks."

"Don't worry, my watch is in sync with the house clocks," she nodded, a huge grin on her face. "Thanks dad."

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Behave."

"I will," she assured. "See you then." She hung up her Mew Cell, and squealed. She'd never had such a late curfew before. She knew this wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the fact it was work related, but it still excited her. Her happiness was soon replaced by guilt however. She hated lieing. The reason she was going out was work related, but not the type of work her dad thought it was.

She then heard a few screams and a crash, followed by more screams. Kotona's heartrate picked up, when she thought the worst. _Not here!_, she thought, dashing toward the door. As soon as she entered the dining room, she nearly slipped and fell on her butt. The entire floor was covered with smoothie. Kotona looked around and saw almost the entire dining room a mess. Chairs were toppled over, even a table had its legs in the air, there was chocolate cake splattered on the wall, customers were complaining, on their feet and on their butts, and Tiffany stood obliviously amongst the chaos, with her Mew Cell to her ear, and an overturned pitcher, with coffee dripping off the table next to her.

"What happened?" Kotona demanded, sliding over to where Kita was grabbing a mop out of the closet.

"Tiffany," was all she said, in a frustrated voice, sliding the mop and bucket to start cleaning. Aneeta was helping some customers to their feet, and Eliot was finally on the scene, taking Tiffany's phone away, and telling her to to back into the kitchen. She gave him a snotty look, and marched away.

"This is worse than what Bridget use to do," Wesley sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"What did she do?" Kotona asked, sliding over to him, and nearly losing her balance.

"She took the coffee out to a table of customers," Wesley began. "She got a phone call on the way, and answered it. She screamed, sounding excited, and swung her arm out; the one with the coffee."

"Oh no," Kotona gasped.

"The coffee spilled all over the customers at that table," he continued, not looking pleased. "Of course they pushed back in shock, and this caused a couple to fall off their seats. One bumped into Aneeta, who knocked over another customer, who flew onto that table, and knocked it over, causing the cake at that table to hit the wall. When Aneeta was bumped into, her tray of 12 smoothies spilled onto only the floor thank goodness, but another customer slipped, and I think that's all."

"How can one girl cause so much damage?" Kotona asked, bewildered.

"I'm not sure," Wesley shrugged. "You better help clean up. This is going to take a while."

\NMM/

"After this we get to go alien hunting!" Kita chimed excitedly, washing one of the tables quickly. It had taken them awhile to finally clean up the place, and now they were cleaning up a second time since their shift was no done. Aneeta only rolled her eyes as Kita skipped by. She didn't think it was safe to be going out on a mission this late. It was dark....very dark. Not that she was completely afraid of the dark, she just didn't like walking around aimlessly when the sun wasn't up. She could handle being in her room at night, but if she had to leave, she'd turn on the lights as she went to her destination. So you could say, she was semi-afraid of the dark.

As if planned, the lights of the Cafe went out, causing the place to become entire black.

"AH!" Aneeta screamed, unintentionally, dropping to her knees, and crawling under the nearest table.

"Eliot," Kita sighed, sounding irritated. The lights came on soon after, with the sound of Eliot laughing.

"That was uncalled for!" Aneeta shouted, jumping up from under the table.

"I was just making sure you were afraid of the dark," he smirked.

"I'm not afraid," she snapped. "I just find it...unsettling."

"You're still afraid," he repeated. Aneeta only made a face at him, and continued to mop the floor.

"When can I have my phone back?" Tiffany whined, sulking into the dining room.

"When I say so," Eliot replied, folding his arms.

"You're not my father!" she snapped. "You can't take it away!"

"Well I'm paying for them, so I can do what I want with them," he shrugged, turning away form her.

"Awww!" Tiffany cried, flailing her arms like a little kid. "This isn't fair!"

"Then maybe you'll learn your lesson," Eliot replied passively. "Don't carry your phone with you when you are working, especially if its on."

"Stop acting like my father!" she shouted, flailing her arms again. "My father doesn't even act like that anyways."

"So you must be a spoiled brat then," Eliot concluded, cocking an eyebrow in accusation.

"I'm not a brat!" Tiffany snapped, putting her hands on her hips in frustration. "I may be spoiled, but I am not a brat!"

"How long do you think they'll go on?" Kotona whispered to Kita.

"Who knows?" She shrugged, checking her watch. "Oh look!We get to go ghost hunting!"

"We're going alien hunting," Aneeta corrected, feeling a knot tie up in her stomach.

"Ghosts are cooler!" Kita grinned widely, jumping onto her back. "You never know if they're going to appear, they can give you chills by walking through you, and they can even possess you..."

"Stop it!" Aneeta shrieked, shaking her off.

"Are you afraid of ghost too?" Kotona giggled.

"No," Aneeta huffed, pulling at her skirt. "It's just Kita made them scarier then they actually are."

"It's all in good fun," Kita laughed. "Come on! Let's go get changed." The three of them headed toward the employees lounge, while Tiffany and Eliot were still arguing.

"Hey Tiffany, it's time to get ready!" Kotona called over her shoulder.

"Oh," Tiffany gasped, turning toward them. "Coming!" Forgetting about her little argument with Eliot, she skipped over to them, leaving Eliot shaking his head at her.

\NMM/

The four mews cautiously made there way down the darkened streets of Nagoya. They each carried a flashlight that was supplied by Wesley, to help them see. So far the girls have walked in silence. Kita was buzzing with anticipation, shining her flashlight on almost everything they passed. Kotona was anxious, constantly checking her watch to make sure she would get home late. Tiffany was bored, sighing dramatically, and playing with her hair. And Aneeta was nervous as heck, staying in between Kotona and Tiffany, with Kita in front of them. She was constantly looking over her shoulder in paranoia whenever she heard something out of the ordinary.

"Let's tell ghost stories," Kita snickered mischievously, turning to face them so she was walking backwards.

"No!" Aneeta whined. "Being out here at night is bad enough!"

"Ya, very scary ones!" Kotona agreed, excitedly.

"Oh let's, let's!" Tiffany cheered. "I'll go first." The girls hurried across the street before Tiffany cleared her throat to begin.

"It was a week before Christmas began," Tiffany began, trying to sound spooky. "A girl was shopping with her mother, when she saw the cutest pair of shoes. She asked her mother for them, she said she'd have to wait until Christmas. Her mother said this with a big smile, so this excited her a lot. Christmas day rolls around, and the girl opens all of her present right away, but none of them has the pair of shoes. At the last minute, her mom holds out a pretty box, with a cute ribbon. She opens it...." She pauses to add suspense, which had Kita and Kotona lean in closer, and Aneeta shiver.

"...and inside...," she added, with a wicked smile. "...was the gaudiest pair of shoes you could ever imagine!" The girls nearly fell over in disappointment.

"And they were two sizes to small!" she added, sounding devastated. "Oh that poor little girl!"

"That was horrible Tiffany," Kita sighed, just horrible. "Totally failure."

"Actually I can," Kita smirked, tilting her flash light up, so it shown form under her face, making her look a little spooky.

"Like I can do that," Tiffany scoffed, turning her flashlight completely around, shining the light directly in her eyes.

"AHH!" she cried, dropping it. "My eyes! My beautiful eyes! I'm blind! I swear I've gone blind."

"No you're not," Aneeta covered her mouth, stiffing her laugh, but unintentionally snorted. Kotona then burst out laughing, shining her light in Kita's eyes by accident.

"Hey watch it!" she shouted. "This is no time for laughing! I'm suppose to be sending chills down your spines!"

"I gotta settle down my funny bone first," Aneeta snorted. She knew it was a bad joke, but Kotona couldn't help but continue laughing.

"I'm blind, and you guys are laughing!" Tiffany whined. "You guys are horrible."

"You're not blind," Kita sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Yes I am," she squeaked.

"Oh look, that stores having a sale tomorrow," Kita said in a monotone voice.

"Where, where?" Tuffany gasped, picking her flashlight up again, and pointing it at every store close to them

"Oh look, you can see," Kita replied, keeping her monotone voice. Tiffany blinked in astonishment, and looked down at herself.

"It's a miracle!" She cheered, hop in tiny hops because of her high heels. "It's a beautiful miracle! I thought I'd never get to see myself again."

"Oh boy," Kotona sighed, shaking her head. "Isn't there a minimum requirement of common sense in order to be a mew?"

"Who knew little miss shy was so rude," Tiffany scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Don't tell me you guys are gong to start fighting now," Aneeta sighed, shaking her head.

"She started it!" Tiffany pointed at Kotona accusingly, sounding like a little kid. The girls only rolled their eyes, and began walking again.

"Okay, so here's my story," Kita grinned, pointing her flashlight up at her face again. "There once was a man. Who fought in WWII. His name was Kanji Inihara. When he returned home, he was a changed man, his whole family knew it; his wife and two kids. One by one, on stormy nights, he shot them with his army gun, all of them in the heart, and buried them in his backyard, using the excuse that they left him because they thought he was crazy."

"He is crazy," Tiffany shivered. 'That's so horrible. How could he kill his family?"

"It didn't stop there," Kita grinned, and the way it looked from the angle of the light, made Aneeta's heart jump. "A few weeks later, someone heard him shouting, followed by a loud bang, and a van rolled down the street at a crazy speed, but there was no driver."

"So why was it empty?" Kotona asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"They say he shot the man in the heart, then took him into his backyard to bury him, leaving the car to roll down the street without a driver," she shrugged, with a devious smirk. "They say that you can see the car rolling down that same street in the middle of the night. No driver at the wheel."

"Of course that's not real," Aneeta laughed. "There's no such thing as a ghost car."

"No," she agreed, "but there is such thing as a ghost van, cause that's what that is." Aneeta rolled her eyes.

"Do you have a story Kotona?" Tiffany asked, nudging the shorter mew, with her elbow.

"My brother told me about this one story," she nodded. "He said that there was this one shop in town, a shop of porcelain dolls-"  
"I already don't like where this is going," Aneeta pouted, covering her ears.

"He said, that this store painted the faces of their dolls with colored blood," she continued. "I think the type of blood they used was dog blood."

"What?" Kita gasped. "That's so gross!"

"Yeah," Kotona agreed, nodding her head. "They use to drain their dogs of blood, and bury them beneath the basement when they were finished. That's what makes this story even scarier. The dolls that got sold, came to life a year exactly after they left the shop. They were as vicious as the dogs whose blood was painted on their faces, killing their owners. They'd return to the shop soon after to show their creator how loyal they were, just like dogs."

"I'm making sure one of those never ever comes in my house," Tiffany shivered, pulling at he skirt. "Do you know the name of the store?"

"It's actually this one right here," Kotona said, nodding to the building they now stood in front of. The girls slowly turned their heads, and shone their flashlights on the store window, illuminating the shapes of of dolls dressed in gothic clothing. The girls stood frozen in place, mouths dropped open in fear. A cold hand then touched Aneeta's next, causing her to scream at the top of her lungs, which caused Kita and Tiffany to join in, and they hugged each other in in desperation.

"Hahahaha!" Kotona was reeling over in laughter. "Your faces were priceless!"

"Why'd you do that?" Aneeta demanded, trying to calm her heart rate.

"They wanted a scary story," she shrugged with a smile.

"I meant touching my neck," she snapped. "That was cold and creepy."

"....I didn't touch your neck," Kotona replied, looking confused.

"Then...who did?" she asked, turning to the other two, who were staring at something behind her. Aneeta swallowed a lump that suddenly appeared in her throat.

"There's something behind me isn't there?" she squeaked. Only Kita was able to nod in response. Slowly, afraid she'd break the dead, cold silence that surrounded them, she turned around, and her breath, caught in her throat when she met its eyes. Or, what would have been its eyes. A skeleton, a real corroded corpse was standing before then, scraps of clothing hanging from its arms, and torso, and a sword in its hand.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The girls screamed, when it moved, to take a fighting stance. Instead of standing their ground, they took off down the street.

"IT'S A HAUNTED!! THAT PLACE IS HAUNTED!" Aneeta hyperventilated, practically crying.

"It reeked!" Tiffany coughed, spraying perfume on herself as they ran.

"It's invasion of the Black Pearl!" Kita shouted, hysterically.

"Why do you always make references to other movies that have nothing to do with us?" Kotona asked, as pushed herself to move faster.

"Well the moon's out, he has raggedy clothes on and a sword," Kita pointed out. "He looks like her could be a pirate." The girls rounded a corner, and stopped dead. There was a whole army of corpses.

"Told you it was an invasion," Kita hissed.

"Looks like the Mews aren't as tough as they thought they were," mused a male voice from above. The girls looked up, and saw a man dressed in blue robes, with pointed ears just like the girl in pink.

"You mean these things just work for you?" Kita asked, eyes wide.

"That's such a relief," Aneeta sighed. "Looks like nothing's haunted then."

"But these are possessed being," the man replied, lowering himself so he was now hovering just above the ground.

"What happened to pinkie?" Tiffany asked, sticking out her hip, and placing a hand on it.

"You must mean Rinya, he nodded. "She has been replaced. My name is Maken."

"Don't really care what your name is," Tiffany snapped. "We're gonna kick your butt just as hard as we kicked hers."

"But I am no fool," he stated, holding his arms out to his army. "I spent weeks gathering these bodies, and making them strong enough to withstand against you."

"You mean...." Aneeta's voice trailed off.

"Those are real bodies?" Kita shouted, finishing her sentence. "Like, from in the ground?"

"They are the bodies of your diseased, yes," he nodded.

"That is wrong on so many levels," Tiffany gagged, in disgust. "Or is it on only one level?"

"We can't kill what's already dead," Kotona panicked.

"Precisely," Maken smirked.

"We can still fight you!" Tiffany snapped. "Right?"

"Of course we can!" Kita nodded, taking out her pendent. "We are Nagoya Mew Mew!"

"Mew Mew Licorice! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!" Her clothes vanished, and she was wrapped in licorice strips, which created her blood read Mewfit.

"Don't just stand there!" Licorice shouted, flailing her arms. "Transform already!"

"Oh right," the girls gasped, shaking out of their freaked trance.

"Mew Mew Cotton Candy!"

"Mew Mew Rose!"

"Mew Mew Plum!"

"MEWTAMORPHOSIS!" In the short amount of time their clothes were quickly replaced by their Mewfits, Maken was out of site, and Licorice had her Glitter Brush out, and was taking aim.

"LICORICE...RIBBON....PAINT BLAST!" A stream of rainbow colors shot out, and hit the center of the gathered skeletons. The front few did fall over on impact, but none didn't seem to be effected by the poisonous stings.

"What's wrong with this thing?" Licorice shouted, pounding a fist on her brush. "Did it break on me or something?"

"They can't be poisoned, cause they're dead," Cotton Candy explained, calling fort her Cotton Candy Rod.

"Jingle Chucks!" Plum shouted, calling forth her own weapon.

"EEP!" Rose squeaked when the skeleton army began to advance. "So what's the plan?"

"Trial and Error?" Cotton Candy replied, for lack of a better answer as she summoned a ball of energy. "COTTON CANDY GLOWING PUTT!" She whacked the energy ball at the army, causing a few to fall over in a domino effect, but they slowly got back up again.

"What can we do?" Rose panicked. "We're gonna lose! We can't-"

"Look out!" Cotton Candy pushed her out of the way, and swung her rod up to intercept the sword of the skeleton that had followed them. She pushed the sword back, and kicked it in his rib cage, causing it to stagger.

"Maybe we can try fighting them by hand?" Plum suggested. "Maybe try to disassemble them."

"It's worth a shot," Licorice nodded as her brush vanished. She ran over to a stray corpse, and jump kicked it in the face, knocking it on its back.

"You can't be serious," Rose gasped, looking mortified. "I...I-I can't touch them! They'll give me a disease!"

"If we lose, then the whole world will be in danger!" Plum shouted. "Can you stop thinking about only yourself?" She turned on her, and ran toward a group of skeletons, swinging her nun chuck. She swung it to the side, hitting on in the face, then swung it to the other side, to his another. One swung their sword at her, so she quickly ducked, and popped back up, kicking her foot out hard enough to knock its head off. She dropped down again, spinning, and knocking their feet from under them, and swung her chuck out as she stood up, wrapping it around the neck of one that still stood, then pulled hard, popping its head off.

Cotton Candy used her Rod mostly to attack the approaching skeletons, but wasn't afraid to use her feet as well. She jabbed it at one of them, and got it stuck in its ribcage. She used is as leverage, to lift herself up, and kick a couple corpses behind her the head, knocking their head off. Her feet came down hard, and she used the momentum, to pull down on her end of the rod, lifting the corpse up and over her head, bring it down with a loud crash on the other side of her, freeing her rod.

"What's with popping their heads off!" Rose shouted, flailing her arms. "You know it's gross seeing their boney heads roll aroun- EEEK!" She leaped away, as a skeleton came a little too close for comfort.

"Stay away!" She squealed in disgust. "Stay away from me!"

"Fight him Tiffany!" Licorice shouted, kicking a skeleton in the leg, causing it to go down low enough for her to spin, and kick his head clear off.

"No way!" Rose shouted back, pulling herself to her feet. "I'd use my weapon, but I doubt it'll do anything to something that doesn't here! The only thing I'm good for is distractions and running!"

"We don't wanna here any of your dramatics right now," Plum grunted, jumping up into the air to avoid being smothered by all the skeletons that moved in on her.

"We don't want your dramatics," Rose mumbled, mockingly. "Well what if I-" She stopped and stared up in the air, and saw Maken, with something weird in his hands. It looked like it was glowing. For the first time she could remember, something useful and smart popped into her head, that wasn't related to organizing shopping priorities.

"Oh wow," She whispered. "Yay me!" She clapped her hands excitedly, and whipped out her microphone.

"Let's turn it up all the way shall we?" she smirked, turning the dial on her microphone.

"ROSE AMPLIFIED SOUND SHOCK!" She shouted into her microphone. The girls halted, confused on what she was doing, but their questions were answered by a cry of pain. They looked up to see Maken doubled over, with a pink pair of headphones on his head.

"Take that mister!" Rose grinned triumphantly. By breaking his concentration, he lost hold of the light he was holding, and it vanished. The skeletons around them halted, and began to shake violently. An unexpected wind erupted down the street, the skeletons fell disintegrated into dust, and were carried away by the wind.

"Dammit," Maken cursed.

"Haha!" Licorice cheered, jumping up and down. "Take that!"

"Watch your backs," he said simply, throwing away the headset. "You never know what's lurking in the shadows." He was covered by darkness, then disappeared without another word.

"Oh yeah!" Rose cheered. "I did it! I did it!"

"Not bad," Plum nodded.

"I have to admit, you did make it much easier for us," Licorice agreed.

"I guess I'm not useless after all!" Rose grinned twirling on her foot.

"No one called you useless," Cotton Candy sighed, folding her arms.

"Or right," she nodded. "So now what?"

"Can you guys walk with me home?" Cotton Candy asked. "I gotta be home soon."

"Sure," Licorice smiled. "Let's go!" She darted off down the street.

"She knows the way?" Plum asked.

"She did come over," Cotton Candy nodded, "but I'm not sure she truly knows the way."

"Which way do I go?" Licorice called from up ahead, earning laughs from the other girls.

\NMM/

"Thanks for walking me home," Kotona smiled, skipping up her driveway.

"Is your brother home?" Tiffany gasped, running past her excitedly.

"No!" Kotona shouted running after her, but it was too late. She had knocked on the door several times over and was now waiting patiently for someone to answer.

"Why did I have you walk me home?" Kotona groaned in regret. The front door was opened, of course, by Shieru, who nearly fell back into the house when he saw who was standing out on the porch.

"What are you dong here?" he demanded, exasperated.

"No, 'hello how are you this evening'?" she asked, pretending to look disappointed.

"Goodbye now," Kotoan ordered, pushing her away with the help of Kita and Aneeta.

"But I never got introduce myself properly," she whined, helpless against the force of the shorter mews.

"He already knows your name," Kita replied, rolling her eyes.

"Really?" Tiffany grinned looking hopeful.

"See you guys tomorrow," Kotona waved as the other two managed to get her down the street.

"You know, I may gave to get a restraining order now," Shieru sighed, scratching his head.

"She's harmless," Kotona shrugged. "I think...."

"Come one shorty," Shieru grinned, dragging his little sister into the house.

"Do you have to bother her brother?" Aneeta asked, looking at her in disbelief, as they crossed the street.

"Of course," Tiffany smirked. "My new goal is to go out with him."

"And what will you do once you accomplish that?" Aneeta wondered, cocking an eyebrow.

"How am I suppose to know?" Tiffany sighed, flipping her hair.

"Hey guys," Kita said, stopping in the middle of the street.

"Yeah?" Aneeta asked, looking over her shoulder at her.

"You know that ghost car I told you about?" she replied, staring down the street.

"How can we forget?" Tiffany sighed.

"Well, this was the street it rolled down," she said softly, looking mystified. A pair of headlights then lit up Kita's face from down the block, and an engine could be heard closing in.

"Kita!" Aneeta screamed, running at her, and throwing her body weight on her, so the two of them tumbled to the ground, just out of reach of the vehicle's tires.

"Are you okay?" Aneeta gasped, horrified.

"Yeah," Kita groaned. "I didn't even see that coming. It was like it appeared out of no where."

"And it returned to no where," Tiffany breathed, staring down the path the van took. The girls looked, and the street came to a stop at a store, with no sign of the van at all.

"That's where the van crashed when they found it," Kita whispered, sounding spooked. A cool breeze blew through their hair, causing them to shiver.

\AN/

Disclaimer: I referred to Pirates of the Carribean, yet another Disney movie. If you're getting annoyed by my movie references, let me know.

I also got "Yay me!" with the clapping of hands from "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody". Yay London! ^^

Preview of Chapter 9:

Please Don't Stop the Mewsic

Kita – So what's on the list of things to mention?

*looks at sheet of paper Aneeta is holding*

Kita – Your mom works for _Glamly_????

Aneeta – Yeah...

Kita – That's so cool!!

*Kotona enters*

Kotona – Why'd you ask?

Kita – Aneeta's mom is interviewing a girl for the magazine.

Kotona – What's so special about this girl that she gets to be interviewed?

Kita – She's a well known dancer here in Nagoya.

Tiffany – If it who I think it is???

*Tiffany runs in and looks at paper*

Tiffany – Oh it is! She's so fantastic! I love her moves.

Aneeta – But why is her DNA chart here too?

*All girls lean in to stare at the chart*

All Girls – She's a Mew!!!

\AN/

_I'd much appreciate some reviews, and thank you for the better reviews I've been getting. It's nice to know how you feel about various aspects of the story. Also checkout my profile. I have a separate section dedicated to just this story. You can find short profiles on the Mews so far, volume art, and also playlists. ^_^ I'll be adding songs to the playlist as the series goes on, so look out for add ons._

_\NMM/_

Kira – We forgot to mention one more thing on the list!

Aneeta – What?

Kita – She ends up saving our butts! _Without_ using her Mew Powers


	9. Chapter 9: Please Don't Stop the Mewsic

\AN/

_Thanks for being ever so patient. As I promised, a new Mew! ^ ^ Not much else to say._

_Enjoy!_

_WARNING: There may be blanks in some places cause the FF document editor is being stupid.  
_

Chapter 9: Please Don't Stop the Mewsic

The music blasted through the speakers instantly, and she already felt the urge to move. The instructor jogged to the front of the room, but it didn't seem fast enough for her. Her body longed to move from its spot amongst the other students. It wanted to flow with the rhythm, lock in with the beat, become one with the music.

"Alright now!" The instructor shouted above the music, turning to face the mirrored wall. "5, 6, 7, 8!" At the end of the countdown she felt herself be released, as if she'd been held underwater far too long, and finally free to take a rejuvenating breath, giving her a feel of life again. She didn't have to think, the music was her guide to her every move, leading her down the most creative path it could. The routine they practiced was too simple for her, so she added her own twist on things, and threw in a new a different move, while the others moved like trained robots. Dancing was something that could truly be taught. Sure you had to learn proper form and everything, but dancing is an art form, and it took a gifted artist to portray the art so beautifully.

The song was over all too soon, and she was left breathing in deep even breaths, in a daze that had her begging for more.

"Well done everyone," the instructor praised, clapping his hands. "That's it for today. Miss. Parker, may I speak to you please?" Amaya first followed the others to the side of the room where their bags were, and she grabbed her water bottle before returning to the instructor, chugging the water down.

"So have you thought about the offer?' he asked, keeping his voice low.

"My answer's still the same," she replied, whipping her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Why?" he asked, exasperated. "Amaya, you are an amazing dancer, and you are far too advanced for this class. You're intimidating some of the other students by the way."

"Sorry," she mumbled, shifting her weight onto her other foot.

"You shouldn't be staying here," he continued. "You have so much potential for better things-"

"I like Nagoya," she interrupted rudely. "And Nagoya is where I'm staying." Without wanting to here another word from him, she turned abruptly toward the door, picking up her bag on the way.

\NMM/

"You cooked that?" Aneeta gasped when Jeremy opened up his lunch box.

"Yup," he nodded proudly. Inside was some fancy looking meal she'd never seen before. He was always bringing fancy stuff for lunch now ever since she and Jay had dinner over at his house. (Partly because she wanted him to.)

"Here." He scooped up some with his fork and held it out for her to sample.

"You didn't try any yet did you?" she asked, with s smirk.

"Can't I have my girlfriend be the first to try my food?" He asked, with cute smile. _Girlfriend_, she thought, her face getting a little hot. It still made her giddy whenever he said that.

"I guess," she shrugged, eating the food.

"Oh man," she coughed, leaning back.

"What?" Jeremy gasped, looking surprised. "What's wrong?"

"It's...too spicy," she laughed, after swallowing.

"It's suppose to be that way," he sighed, shaking his head. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," she giggled, grinning playfully. "I just wasn't expecting that."

"I'm full of surprises," he smiled. She took the opportunity to give him a quick kiss. Yet another thing that still made her blush.

"Would you like to do something after school?" Jeremy asked, wrapping his arm around her waist, and pulling her closer.

"I can't," Aneeta sighed, sadly. "I've gotta make Halloween decorations for the Cafe. Kotona and Kita are coming over to help."

"Halloween?" he asked, taking a cookie from her lunch box.

"Yeah, Wesley likes to be festive," she nodded, snatching the cookie back. "You're suppose to eat dessert after the meal."

"Well it's part of the meal," he grinned.

"The _last_ part," she countered, putting her cookie back, and pulling out a classic PB&J.

"Did Jay pack your lunch today?" he asked teasingly.

"I happen to like simple things," she replied, taking a bit of it, and having peanut butter stick to the top of her mouth instantly.

"I know you do," Jeremy nodded.

"Another thing to add to your list?" Aneeta smirked teasingly.

"Yes actually," he smiled. "How about tomorrow after school then?"

"Don't you have an extra kendo practice tomorrow?" Aneeta asked.

"It got changed to the morning," he explained, scooping up his spicy food with his other hand and eating the forkful. "So I'm free, unless my parents call me in to help at the convenient store."

"Tomorrow sounds good," she nodded, with a big smile. They ain't there lunches over more small talk, and finally got around to the cookies when the bell rang all too soon.

"Darn," Jeremy sighed. "Guess I'll just eat it later."

"You still have time," Aneeta pointed out, getting up. "The bell only just rang."

"But I don't wanna just eat it as fast as I can," he explained, wrapping up the cookie and placing it in his lunch box. "I like to enjoy eating cookies. Especially when you make them." She smiled sheepishly, and felt her face get hot again. He pushed a piece of hair behind her ear, and pulled her face to his as he leaned down to kiss her. As usual, her head began to swim in pure bliss. Yes, kissing him herself made her happy, and feel brave for doing so, but when he kissed her, it was just so...magical.

"We're going to be late," Jeremy chuckled, breaking the kiss all too soon.

"Being late never hurt anyone," she replied, her mind still swimming.

"It would hurt your attendance record wouldn't it?" he asked, half smirking. Her eyes widened in realization.

"Let's go," he laughed lightly, leading her to the door leading back into the building. _Gosh I love spending time with him_, she smiled to herself. _He's so amazing, and sweet, and easy going. I hope nothing ever gets between us._

\NMM/

"So Tiffany, how's work going?" One of her friends, Naomi, asked, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Get this," Tiffany said, sitting forward. "My boss, the loser Eliot, took my phone away from me."

"No way," another friend, Chie, gasped in disbelief.

"Way," Tiffany huffed, flipping her curls. "Like, I wasn't even doing anything wrong. I was just talking to my new hair stylist and serving coffee at the same time. I can multitask."

"And talking to your hair stylist is a very important thing," Jasmine added, sipping her tea. "It's more important than work even."

"Exactly," Tiffany shouted exasperated. "I don't see how he couldn't see that. He can be so closed minded."

"That's usually how boys are," Yumi sighed, picking at her salad. "So how are you on the boyfriend situation?"

"Yeah, didn't you mention you had your eye on a new guy?" Chie grinned, leaning closer expectantly.

"Why yes," Tiffany grinned. "There is a new guy I've had my eyes on."

"What's he like?" Jasmine demanded, pushing aside her her cup. "Give the deets."

"Well, he is extremely good looking," Tiffany smirked. "He works out, I can tell. He's got short brown hair,and he's tall."

"He sounds so dreamy," Naomi sighed. "You always find the good ones."

"You just have to know where to look," Tiffany smirked, cockily.

"Where _did_ you meet him?" Chie asked with great interest.

"He came into the Cafe," she smiled. "He's actually one of my fellow worker's older brother."

"Oooo," the girls gasped in unison.

"I smell drama roasting," Yumi giggled.

"You don't roast drama," Jasmine sighed, rolling her eyes. "You give it fuel."

"Dating a college's brother can cause drama if things don't go well," Naomi nodded.

"We aren't dating," Tiffany said. "At least not yet."

"Should we see to the guide?" Chie asked, looking at the other girls individually, who all nodded.

"The Guide to Survive a Girl's Life," Tiffany announced, pulling out an uber thick book from her bag. It had many of pages obscure, and a ton of sticky notes sticking out. She opened the book, and leafed through it to find the page she wanted.

"Section 4: How to Get a Guy to Go Out With You," she read out loud.

"I think 4.3 has some good tips," Naomi said, leaning over her shoulder. The Guide to Servive a Girl's Life was created by Tiffany's friends older sisters, who were close friends just like they were. They wrote about everything, from boys, to getting a job, to the best clothes for every occasion, to even some self defense. The group consulted the book whenever they need guidance, and if they thought certain tips could be in there, they added them themselves.

"This is some good stuff," Tiffany nodded, skimming down the page.

"Getting this guy to like you will be child's play," Chie grinned.

"It will," she nodded in agreement. "It'll be fun too."

\NMM/

"We have five minutes left, why don't you present your speech Kotona?" asked Minoto suggested with a big smile. Kotona tensed up instantly.

"I-I may not have enough t-time Minoto-sensei," she stuttered, panicking. She absolutely hated answering questions in class, never mind giving a speech in front of her class.

" I'm sure we can fit you in," she said, waving her hand. "And if not, you can just present again tomorrow." _Again tomorrow?_, she thought, feeling her heart rate double.

"Up to the front with you," she prompted, waving her hands. Kotona struggled to swallow the lump that appeared in her throat, as she got to her feet, her chair making scraping noises as it moved out. Hands shaking, she had to hold her cue cards with both hands as she moved sluggishly to the front of the room. She felt the eyes of her classmates follow her short journey, but they only made it feel that much longer.

"What's your topic?" Minoto asked, when she reached the front of the room.

"Sp-space," Kotona stammered, staring down at the ground, and fiddling with her cue cards.

"Begin when our ready," Minoto chimed, sitting up straighter. _How can I?,_ she thought. _How can I bare to look up with all these kids staring at me? It's not like they're my friends or anything. They barely know me. All they know is that I'm the quiet, shy girl who sits in the back of the room. They look down on me. When I look up, they wont even be paying attention to me. They'll be keeping themselves occupied, either scraping their desks with pencils, whispering to their friends, scribbling on a piece of paper, anything to block out the boring girl at the front, and cause the last few moments of class to fly by_. Finally taking in a deep breath, and was about to lift her head when the bell went, scaring her.

"Looks like I miss judged," Minoto said. "My clock is slow." At the same time the students of her class, slid out of their seats, and grabbed their things, rushing out of the room as fast as they could, not even glancing at her. Typical, she sighed dragging her feet to her desk.

"I'm sorry about that Kotona," Minoto sighed, coming over to her. "I didn't realize we'd run out of time."

"It's okay Minoto-sensei," she smiled lightly. "There's always tomorrow."

"Of course there is," she smiled sweetly. Kotona said goodbye to her teacher, and left the classroom quietly. All around her the students gathered in groups, giggling, shouting, hugging each other. She walked down the center of the hallway, feeling alienated. She passed students on either side of her, and none of them acknowledged her. She got to her locker at the very end of the hall, and spun the combination. She wished she had at least one person to call a friend at school. Someone she could cram for test with, someone she could eat lunch with, someone who at least knew she existed. The locker next to her swung opened too fast, coming into contact with her head, causing her to stubble, and trip over her own foot, landing on her side.

"Oops, sorry about that," her locker neighbor gasped, bending down to help her up.

"I-its okay," she stammered, trying to get herself up before he could do anything, but he feet slipped out from under her, and she almost smacked her head off the ground. _Dammit_, she cursed to herself. A pair of strong hand grabbed her under her arms, and effortlessly put her on her feet.

"U-um th-thanks," she stuttered, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. His name was Ryoichi Shioya. His hair was super short and black, his skin was dark, and he was almost two feet taller than her. He originally came from Australia, but moved here a couple years ago. She wasn't sure why, she never really asked. Heck, she never really talked to him at all. He was on the student council, helped organize a lot of events that happened at the school, and was a straight A-student. A lot of girls had crushes on him, and Kotona had to admit, she did as well.

"No problem," he smiled. "I didn't know you had an interest in space."

"I studied it a bit," she shrugged, grabbing her things from her locker._ Oh my goodness!_, she thought. _He's talking to me. Actually making conversation. And I'm responding! AH!_

"Do you have an interest in it?" he asked, filling up his backpack with books. She hesitated, not really sure how to answer it. The only reason she knew stuff about it, was because her parents had her study it, just like a million other things. Besides sports, she wasn't sure what other interests she had.

"It was just something I chose to do," she shrugged again._ Should I say more_, she wondered._ Should I just drop the conversation now and walk away before something goes bad? Could something go bad? I could probably say the wrong and make things go bad, definitely. I'm not sure when I'll talk to him again, maybe I should say something else._ She began to panic when he closed his locker.

"I like sports more," she added quickly.

"You play sports?" Ryoichi asked with interest.

"Just recently learned some," Kotona nodded. "I like basketball the most."

"I'm terrible at sports," Ryoichi laughed. "I don't have any coordination. Well, I've got a meeting to go to. Take care Kotona." _AH!_, she screamed internally as he walked away. _He knows my name! Someone actually knows my name! Oh my gosh!_ She really felt like she was walking on air when she left the school. This presented a problem though. She couldn't really feel the ground beneath her, so when she reached the front steps, she fell down them, and landed on her face.

"Ow," she groaned, lifting her head up just to rest her chin on the ground. She saw a pair of shoes right in front of her face that didn't match her school's uniform.

"Hello," chimed the girl above her. "You okay there?"

"I've been better," she grumbled, slowly getting to her feet.

"You're face is scratched up," Kita gasped, slapping her hands onto Kotona cheeks, and pulling at them. "Are you okay? Does this make your face hurt even more?"

"It would hurt even if it wasn't scratched up," Kotona protested, swiping her hands away. "You made it hurt even more." She rubbed her cheeks tenderly.

"Sorry," Kita grinned, and scratched her head. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," she nodded. "It's not gushing blood is it?"

"It's got a little," Kita said, looking closer. "You should go back inside and clean it up. I don't think Aneeta will mind if we're late."

"Okay," Kotona nodded, heading up the stairs again with Kita on her heels.

"So what were you thinking about?" Kita asked, skipping along beside her. "You looked distracted."

"Uhh..." she stammered, wracking her brain for a good lie. She didn't' want to tell Kita about Ryoichi because she knew she'd bug her about him constantly, and probably try something crazy in hopes to get them together or something. She hadn't done anything yet, but being the hyperactive little girl she was, Kotona knew something like that could happen soon.

"I had to do a speech," she replied. "I hate giving speeches. The bell rang before I could start, so I gotta do it tomorrow."

"Oh that sucks," Kita said, patting her on the back. "Don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Thanks," she smiled, pushing the door to the bathroom open.

\NMM/

"Is that a squirrel?" Kita grinned, poking Kotona's cut out animal with her scissors.

"It's a cat," Kotona sighed, lowering her head in defeat.

"It's a cute little cat too," Aneeta smiled.

"What's that?" Kita asked, leaning over the table to get a better look at what the older Mew was doing.

"It's a a bunch of bats attached together like a banner," she explained, unfolding it. "See?"

"That's neato!" Kita grinned, clapping her hands. "You;re good at this stuff."

"Well, I did a lot of crafts with Jay when he was younger," she shrugged, grabbing an orange sheet of paper. "I've got a lot of practice." The three of them were gathered around the coffee table in the living room, with glue, scissors, ribbons, and papers of orange, black, white, and green scattered all over it. Aneeta's mom wasn't expected home until late, so she didn't have to have everything clean up until then. Her dad wasn't home either. He was out of town to putting together his latest commercial for a new brand of Dog Food. They'd been there for about an hour, and they had several small things to stick on the walls, but they needed more stuff for the tables, and even to hang from the ceiling. Aneeta's banner of bats was good for hanging above the entrance. Jay had gotten a gigantic sheet of paper, and went into the kitchen taking the paints with him.

"Here's my cute pumpkin," Kita announced holding up a pumpkin she cut out with a black hat on, and a big smile illuminating from yellow paper.

"Nice job," Kotona marveled. "Why can't I make something that good?"

"Why don't you make some ghosts out of white paper?" Aneeta suggested.

"After the other night, I'm not sure if I want to even _think_ about ghosts," Kotona said, shivering.

"Make cute ones," Kita smiled. "The ones that look like bed sheets."

"And with just two black eyes," Aneeta added, with a nod.

"Those'll be easy," Kotona beamed, grabbing a piece of white paper and scissors.

"I'm done Neeta!" Jay cheered bouncing into the living room. "I'm done! I'm done!"

"You're done your painting?" Aneeta asked, sketching out a witch hat on black paper.

"Yes, come see!" He shouted, jumping up and down.

"Let's go then," Kita grinned, jumping to her feet.

"I'll see later," Kotona replied, absorbed by her work. Aneeta got up, and followed the two elementary school kids into the kitchen , where Jay's giant paper was sprawled on the floor with scrap papers to the side, with the paint dumped all over them. At least he was smart with keeping his mess controlled.

"This is really cool!" Kita grinned.

"This really is cool," Aneeta gapped, staring down at what he drew. He drew the for them(Her, Kita, Tiffany and Kotona), standing under a tree baring mini pumpkins on its branches. They each wore a different costume; Aneeta was a witch, Kita was a vampire, Tiffany was a bunny, and Kotona was a princess.

"The Mews of the Cafe!" Jay smiled, feeling very proud.

"I didn't know you could paint like this," Aneeta said, marveling over the masterpiece.

"I don't really like to show my drawings to people," he shrugged. "I'm afraid they'll make fun of me."

"You're eight years old, and you can paint like this?" Kita shouted in amazement. "Why would _anyone_ want to make fun of you? You're like a little Mozart!"

"Mozart made music," Aneeta corrected.

"It's still an art form!" Kita protested, putting her hands on her hips. "Great job Jay. We are for sure hanging this up in the cafe."

"Really?" Jay gasped, eyes shining brightly.

"Of course," Aneeta grinned, hugging him. "This could be your big break buddy."

"Aw," he grinned in return.

"How adorable," Kita sighed. "That's a Kodak Moment. I wish I had a camera."

"You'll ruin my rep!" Jay shouted.

"What rep?" Aneeta asked, ruffling his hair. "You don't have a rep."

"Of course I do," he objected. "I'm cool and independent. I can't be seen having tender moments with my older sister."

"Oh, thats a bunch of baloney," Aneeta laughed, kissing him on the cheek.

"Ah gross!" Jay cried, trying to squirm out of her grasp.

"Tickle time!" Kita shouted, tickling his sides while Aneeta held him.

"No, NO!" Jay laughed, throwing his body back and forth. "Stop! Please stop! It tickles!"

"That's the point," Kita grinned. The trio was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

"Saved by the ring," Kita laughed, backing off.

"Thank goodness," Jay sighed, finally free of his sister's grip. Aneeta picked up the phone and turned it on.

"Hello?" she said into the receiver.

"Please tell me the house is in one piece?" Her mother's voice came through urgently.

"Of course," she replied. "We're just making crafts like I said."

"Can you guys clean up and make dinner as soon as possible?" Georgia asked. "I've invited a guest over for dinner. She's being interviewed for the magazine. I felt bad about postponing the interview, so I invited her over. I hope that's not too much trouble."

"No problem," Aneeta smiled. "We can have this place clean up, and dinner cooking in no time."

"Thank you so much," Georgia sighed in relief. "Kita and Kotona can stay if they'd like."

"I'm sure they will," Aneeta nodded. "Who's our guest?"

"Amaya Parker," she replied. "She's a dancer, and she's really good. I'm interviewing her because of her life story. She isn't going into complete details, which is fine, but its real life stuff. She's a real inspiring young girl, but she's just like others her age too."

"Keeping it real eh?" Aneeta grinned.

"That's how I roll," Georgia laughed.

"Uh, no mom," Aneeta chuckled slightly. "Please don't say that again."

"Okay," she replied sounding amused. "I'll be home in about an hour. You think you'll be ready by then?"

"Of course," Aneeta smiled, looking over to see Kita and Jay were already cleaning up the paint. "See you get home."

"So who's coming over?" Jay asked.

"Amaya Parker," she replied, putting the phone down. "I've honestly never heard of her, but mom said she's a respected dancer."

"I havn't either," Kita said, picking u pthe paint brushes, "but any girl who is good enough to be interviewed by _Glamly_ is good for me."

"Aw man," Kotona sighed, coming into the room, her head hanging low. "I even failed at making ghosts." She held in her hands pieces of paper that looked like clouds.

"Oh Kotona," Aneeta smiled. "We could still use those actually. I could make a witch on a broomstick, and hang it up with the clouds."

"That's a good idea,' Kita grinned. "Nice improvising."

"Thanks," Aneeta nodded. "Now let's get cleaned up."

\NMM/

Aneeta planned out a Caesar salad, lasagna and garlic bread on the side. As she layered the lasagna, Kita and Kotona were having fun with the salad. They washed the lettuce leaves, almost ripping them up too small, and added croutons and Caesar sauce. They each held a spoon, and laughed as they tried to use teamwork, and toss the salad. They managed to get the job done, but not without sending a few croutons across the room.

Aneeta put the garlic bread in the oven with the lasagna, which was almost done now, when they heard Jay shouting from the top of the stairs.

"Mom's home!" He shouted, "and she's with someone."

"That would be Amaya," Kita smiled, swinging her feet under the kitchen chair she was sitting on.

"Wow," Kotona sighed, her eyes shining in excitement. "We get to meet someone well known enough to be interviewed!"'

"Just remember to act normal," Aneeta reminded, peeking in on the lasagna. "She's just a normal girl like us, with just an incredible talent in dancing."

"Yes ma'am," Kita and Kotona replied simultaneously, saluting her. The lock on the front door could be heard turning, and was shoved open.

"I'm home!" Georgia announced from the front hall.

"She's here!" Kotona squealed in a whisper.

"Hi mom," Jay called, skipping down the stairs.

"Come on into the kitchen and I'll introduce you to everyone," Georgia said kindly, pushing jay into the kitchen. "Girl's I'd like you to meet Amaya Parker." A girl appeared in the doorway, after Georgia made room for her. Her hair was dark brown, and was very thick and wavy, flowing past her shoulders. She had matching brown eyes, and she wore jeans, and a jean jacket over a tank top. She was taller than Aneeta, and her body was thin, just like the average dancer. Her face was straight, unreadable, and she didn't make eye contact with any of them.

"Amaya, this is my son Jay, and my daughter Aneeta," she said motioning toward them. "And these are Aneeta's friends' Kita and Kotona."

"Nice to meet you," Kita chimed, turning on her usual charm. Amaya only nodded slightly in response. The room fell with awkward silence, making Kita feel like she failed at getting things settled.

"Dinner will be ready shortly," Aneeta spoke up, not sure what else to say.

"Well, why don't you get settled then Amaya?" Georgia suggested. "There's lots of open space in the living room. Amaya quickly walked through the kitchen and exited out the other end that lead into the living room.

"I'll just put my stuff in my office," Gergia smiled, briskly leaving.

"I'm going to my room," Jay shrugged. "Too many girls."

"She isn't one for chit-chat is she?" Kita asked in a whisper.

"She doesn't seem happy at all," Kotona nodded, speaking in the same hushed tone.

"Maybe she didn't really want to come for dinner," Aneeta shrugged, "and she felt too bad to decline?"

"That could be it," Kita nodded, thinking it over. "We should make it worth her while then. Let's go make friends with her."

"You sure?" Aneeta asked, looking a bit apprehensive. "Maybe she doesn't want to be bothered."

"Of course," she nodded with certainty. "Giving her positive vibes will help her generate them." With out another word, she slid into the living room, followed closely by the others.

"Hi," Kita smiled brightly, turning up the charm again. "I'm Kita. I'm in my last year at Leaflet Elementary. Are you in school?" Amaya only shook her head, and continued to avoid eye-contact.

"I like to draw, and write on Fanfiction," she continued, making her smile wider. "Is dancing your only hobby?" The girl only shook her head in response again. Kita took in a sharp breathe looking frustrated.

"Think she'll have much luck?" Kotona asked, looking back at Aneeta.

"Let her try," Aneeta shrugged.

While the other mews listened to Kita attempting to get Amaya to talk, Aneeta finished up dinner, by placing large portions of lasagna on each plate, and placing the large bowl of salad in the center of the table. Finally giving up, Kita's shoulder's slumped, and she dragged her feet along the floor, heading back into the kitchen.

"No luck?" Aneeta asked, already slicing up the garlic bread.

"No," Kita sighed, sliding down her seat. "She doesn't like talking at ALL!"

"Not so loud," Kotona hissed. "She'll here you."

"Oh well!" she shouted. "She obviously doesn't care! She's being a total poopy pants!"

"Poopy pants?" Aneeta and Kotona repeated, raising their eyebrows.

"You get what I mean," she sighed, exasperated. "Dinner ready now?"

"Yup," Aneeta nodded, adding the bread to the plates. "Let's hope this works out okay." The younger mews nodded in agreement.

"Dinner's ready!" she called.

"YAY!" Jay shouted, stampeding down the stairs. Georgia then appeared in the room, followed hesitantly by Amaya.

"This looks delicious Aneeta," Georgia smiled, seating herself down at the table first before everyone else followed suit. Jay didn't hesitate to stuff his face.

"Thank you," she smiled proudly. Silence soon settled over the group, but Georgia and Jay didn't seem to notice. She went on about today's work, and saying a few things here and there about Amaya, while he stuffed his face with food. The Mews ate silently, glancing at each other every so often, and nodding to what Georgia said to be polite. Kita kept giving evil glances across the table at Amaya, who didn't look up once the entire dinner. If it wasn't for her mom talking, Aneeta swore they'd jump if someone were to drop a pin.

"Thank you for the wonderful dinner," Georgia smiled, when she finished. "We can go to my office now and do the interview Amaya." The girl nodded, and stood without a thank you to Aneeta and followed the woman out of the room.

"That girl is rude," Kita huffed, folding her arms. "No thank you, not a word of your mom's hospitality, not even a complaint of my nagging. It'll be a miracle if she could actually do an interview."

"Kita," Aneeta sighed, getting up, and collecting the dishes.

"She even left her stuff for you to pick up!" Kita shouted exasperated.

"So did my mom and Jay," Aneeta said, rolling her eyes. Jay had bolted right after his mom left, probably wanting to get in some computer time.

"Still!" Kita protested, folding her arms. "Kids these days. So ungrateful."

"She's older than you, and you're calling her a kid?" Kotona giggled. Kita shot her a glare.

"I gotta do these dishes now," Aneeta said, motioning to the pans left from the food. "You guys can keep yourself busy if you like."

"Do you have Uno cards?" Kotona asked, smiling. Aneeta opened a drawer, and pulled out a deck.

"Of course."

"Awesome!" Kita cheered, forgetting about Amaya. "Prepare to be owned Kotona!"

\NMM/

Amaya was relieved when the interview was over. She never liked talking about herself, or talking with people much at all, but as Mrs. Rolls had said, she was an inspiration to others, and should be recognized for what she can do, and what she'd been through. She didn't ask for this though. She didn't ask for any of it; for her talent, for the accident, for her current situation. Sure she loved being able to dance so well, but if it wasn't for her stubbornness for wanting to pursue a career in it back then, then maybe she'd still be alive....

Shaking her head, and forcing the thought away, Amaya continued down the sidewalk, her high heels hitting the pavement was the only sound she could pick up. This was surprising. Usually there'd be bird or crickets chirping, a random car going by, or even the wind blowing, rustling the trees. But there was nothing. Not a single sound. She glanced over her shoulder cautiously, but only saw the rows of houses she had just past, the sidewalk empty except for a few stranded leaves.

Amaya caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head toward it, swinging her hair over her shoulder, but saw nothing. She quickened her pace, and her eyes flashed in all directions to make sure she was alone. Again she caught a flash of movement, but when she turn towards it there was nothing there. She felt her heart jump in panic, she found herself practically running. Something was following her, and she knew it.

She stopped dead when a shrilling screech pierced through the air. Spinning around, she nearly knocked noses with the monstrosity before her. It had the face of a fox, with fur sticking out every which way It was standing on two legs, and had hands like a human, but with elongated nails, and very furry. It gave another shrill, lashing out at Amaya, knocking her out into the street. Her purse flew away from her, and she held the side of her face where she was struck. Crimson liquid was slowly seeping between her fingers.

_My god_, she thought, shaking in panic. She looked up, and saw the fox was accompanied by another on, and they both wore tight knee length, sleeveless robes, but one was black, the other white. They glared at her, in hunched positions, as if she were something delicious to eat. Adrenaline pumped through her body, and she felt the fight or flight instinct thrown at her. She immediately scrambled to her feet, trying to create the distance between her and these creatures, but she was knocked forward, and her face came into contact with the ground. She felt blood drip from her nose, and touch her lips as she raised her head, feeling a dizzy sensation take over. She felt the weight of another body on her body, holding her down, and the nails of the creature run up her back lightly, yet threateningly. When the hand reached her head, she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the pain it would surely cause.

"COTTON CANDY GLOWING PUTT!" A shrill was sounded above her,and she felt the creature fall off of her.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked, coming to her side. She grunted, and propped herself up on her elbows.

"Take it easy," the girl said soothingly. "You're going to be okay." Amaya looked up at her, and blinked away the haze. She had long purple hair, and big ears sticking out the top of her head.

"LICORICE RIBBON PAINT BLAST!" A ray of rainbow rushed over their heads, heading for the other fox-like creature. It dodge the attack easily, landing next to its twin with grate balance. Amaya sat up, and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"What are those?" she croaked, her throat feeling sore.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of them," the girl reassured. "Just stay here and it'll be fine." The girl ran toward two other girls who were similarly dressed oddly, and they took up fighting stances.

"Three against two seems hardly fair, but I like when the odds are in my favor," the little red girl grinned. As if not listening to her, the foxes began moving in unison, but as mirror images of each other. They made hand gestures,and swayed their bodies, and ended with pounding their fists together.

"Huh?" the pink girl asked, looking confused. "What ar- HEY!" A giant bubble surrounded surrounded the three girls and the two foxes. Amaya couldn't hear what they were saying anymore, but the girls looked stressed, covering their ears. _Maybe a loud noise?_, she thought, slowly getting to her feet. The foxes then began to move in unison, their feet jumping across the ground, their hips jetted from side to side, and their arms did their own thing. _Dancing?_, she wondered, tilting her head curiously. The foxes stopped suddenly, and pointed at the girls, who only stared at them blankly, holding their hands to their ears till. When they didn't move, lightning struck on their side of the bubble, causing them to scream in pain.

"Oh no," Amaya gasped, when the foxes started dancing again. She rushed to the bubble, and felt guilty when the girls were shocked again from not moving at all.

"They have to mimic their moves," She concluded, reaching the bubble. "They have to mimic their moves to beat them. Hey!" She banged her fists against the bubble, expecting it to be solid, but stumbled forward when her hands went through it followed by the rest of her. She was greeted by extremely loud pulsing music, and sounded techno.

"What are you doing in here?" the littlest of the girls demanded. "This isn't safe!"

"I can see that," she said, looking them up and down. "You can't dance can you?" They all shook their heads, and she only sighed, and turned toward the foxes. They looked at her evenly, staying completely still.

"Show me what you got," she challenged, taking off her jacket, and throwing it to the side. The foxes immediately did a routine as if they'd practiced for years, and pointed at her right on the beat. She was counting in her head, so she started right as they pointed at her. She copied their moves easily, having done harder routines before, and jabbed her finger at them when she finished. They broke out into a different more complex routine, giving Amaya the kind of challenge she liked. Again she copied their routine perfectly, and they continued on like this for a few more rounds. Getting bored of just copying, she decided to give their routines a twist, adding more technical steps in, and complicating their moves even more. By doing so, the foxes ended up copying her moves, so she did what she could to confuse them, and make sure she her moves couldn't be followed. To her excitement, the foxes ended up missing a step, and got shocked by their own bubble.

"Way to go Amaya!" the littlest girl cheered. "You show 'em!" The foxes had to stop now. They looked tired and worn out. Amaya was breathing in deeply, and she was full of sweat, but she was far from being tired.

"What's that on your hip?" Asked the middle height girl. Amaya looked down at herself, where her tank top had slowly rolled up as she danced, revealing skin between her low ride jeans and the shirt. There on her hip was a crescent moon mark that she had had for a few weeks now. Where it came from, she still didn't know.

"That's a Mew Mark!" The tallest gasped. "You're a Mew Amaya!"

"Huh?" Amaya said, looking at them as if they were crazy.

"MMMM!" A squeaky voice cheered. A little doll entered the bubble, and flew straight for Amaya.

"What timing MAL," The younger girl grinned.

"MMM," the little doll said again, lifting her tiny paws in the air and conjuring up a ball of energy. When it faded, a small pendent fell into Amaya's hands.

"Use it to transform!" The middle girl explained. "You can transform, just like us."

"Transform?" she repeated in a soft voice, turning the pendent over in her hands slowly. A line of words formed in her brain, and before she knew it she was saying them out loud.

"Mew Mew Icing!" she shouted, giving her pendent a tender kiss. "MEWTAMORPHOSIS!!" She was surrounded by a light blue light just as her clothes faded away. She kept her eyes closed, for her ears were filled with contemporary music, and thats all she needed to guide her. As the music played. she moved her body accordingly. It was as if she knew what was going to be played next. She crossed her arms over her chest, and swayed jerkily a couple times, before throwing her arms out, and pushing off the ground with one foot, and spinning in the air once, while she felt something smooth wrap around her abdomen. A white puffy short-sleeved shirt appeared on her. One that hugged her shape, showing some cleavage, and had a zipper with two light blue lines down the front. Landing, she swung her leg up, to do a perfect to do a perfect standing split, then brought it back down, getting up on her toes, and spinning several times. Something wrapped around her waist creating a white ruffled skirt with light blue layer underneath, and a white belt, and light blue buckle, as well as a garter on her leg. She brought her hands into the air, then bent over, running them up her leg to her knee, the threw them out again to do a few pirouettes. This caused something to slip around her armes, creating white and light blue striped wrist bands to form, covering most of her forearms, and arm bands on her upper arms. At the same time, she felt the sensation around her feet, and a pair of white high-heeled boots formed up to her mid-calf. Finally she opened her eyes, and found herself on a giant cake. Her dance had left smears in the icing. A big glob smoothed over her face, and through her hair, changing her eyes and hair a light blue. Feeling the music coming to an end, she slid down the side of the cake as a white ribbon appeared in her hair. On the way, feeling a pair of black-striped white ears and tail pop out of her head and rear. Landing at the bottom, she found she was on the edge of a stage, so she took a final pose as the music ended, and her pendent appeared around her neck on a white choker with blue frills.

"Whoa," Icing gasped, doing a complete turn.

"You look awesome," the little grinned. "Now finish off those guys!"

"How?" she asked, looking a little bewildered.s

"Use your weapon," the tallest smiled. "Say the first thing that comes to mind." Icing turned to the foxes, who seemed to be regaining the composure, and thought of a possible weapon.

"Blizzard Katana!" she shouted, summoning a pure white sword in her hand. It was slim, and the handle looped inwards to a point, like a giant claw, and had light blue squiggles on it.

"ICING...!" She spun her sword above her head before slamming it into the concrete below her. "SHATTERING..." She held the handle with one hand, and held the other open above it, summoning a powerful force that caused the sword to glow blue. "STAR...!" Using just one hand, she pulled the katana, holding it in a reverse grip and sliced the air three times leaving the streaks where she cut in the air. The streaks formed a 6 pointed star before her. "CRASH!" Punching her fist out at the center of the star, she sent it slicing through the air, and cutting right through both of the foxes, causing them to disintegrate into nothing. The bubble disappeared as well, leaving the four girls to stand alone in the middle of the street.

"You were amazing Amaya!" the little girl cheered hugging her with her entire body.

"Um, how do you know my name?" she finally asked. Their clothes changed suddenly, revealing their true identities.

"It's you guys?" she gasped, taking a step back.

"Yeah, we're Nagoya Mew Mew!" Kita shouted proudly.

"Not so loud or the neighbours will here," Aneeta hissed.

"And you're one of us," Kotona smiled.

"Why?" Amaya asked, folding her arms. "I didn't ask for this." _Another thing I can add to the list_, she thought.

"None of us did," Aneeta explained, "but it's up to us to keep Nagoya safe, and we need your help." The three younger girls looked at her expectantly, Kita's eyes were pleading. _What have I gotten thrown into?_ she wondered, feeling herself change back into her old clothes.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice then do i?" she said, picking up her jacket, and retrieving her purse.

"We're going to become such great friends!" Kita cheered, but her face soon fell when she remembered her failed attempts. Amaya suddenly felt bad for the way she acted toward them today, and put a small smile on her face.

"Aneeta," she said.

"Yeah?" Aneeta replied.

"Thank you for dinner," she said simply, before continuing on her way.

"I think we made progress," Kotona giggled.

"I feel so accomplished," Kita laughed, grinning her widest smile.

\NMM/

"First the dead, and now music," Rinya mused, walking in on Maken who was meditating. "What are you up to Maken?" He didn't reply. He sat there on the floor, legs crossed, and hands resting on his knees.

"Could you actually have no plan at all?" She taunted, circling around him slowly like a vulture. "Could you just be trying random things, to show Dlender you havn't run out of use? Could you be doing it to avoid getting punished like me? Are you avoiding being punished _by_ me?" Faster then she could comprehend, Maken was up, with his hand gripped tightly around her neck, and her back against the wall.

"You are the last creature I'd ever be afraid of," he spat, venom thick in his voice, his eyes blazing with resentment.

"I take it you do have a plan then," she chuckled triumphantly. "You may not seem like the type, but your short fuse makes it easy for you to fall into any trap."

"I may not be able to hurt you now," Maken spoke, making his grip on her harder, but not enough to cut off her breathing, "but when the chance arises again, I will end your life."

"And when that happens, I'll be out of Dlender's service," Rinya replied, a smirk on her face. "Then I'll be able to put up a fight against you. You know I'll always be in Dlender's service, so you'll never get the chance to even _try_ to take my life."

"Don't disturb me again," he snapped, practically throwing her out.

\AN/

_Thanks for read! ^_^ Please Review!_

_Wow I don't have to any disclaimers for this chapter XP_

_Preview of Chapter 10:_

_(Haven't thought of A Title Yet)_

Kita - Where's Tiffany at?

Aneeta - I don't know. I didn't see her.

Amaya - This place is small.

Kotona - Yeah it is. We should ask Eliot to make it bigger.

Kita - And to add in a microphone! So it can project our voices !

Kotona - You're loud enough with out one.

Kita - You can never be loud enough!

Aneeta - Anyways, this is Amaya Parker everyone. She was submitted by dark charmer. xo.

Kotona - Would you like to tell us anything else about you?

Amaya - No not really.

Kita - Come on. There's gotta be something.

Amaya - No there isn't. I'm sorry, I've got to be somewhere.

*Amaya leaves and Tiffany rushes in*

Tiffany - You guys aren't gong to believe what I did!

Aneeta - What?

Tiffany - I ate....MEAT!

Kita - You did?!?!

Tiffany - Yeah, but it was worth it.

Kotona - Why'd you do it?

*Tiffany giggles nervously*


	10. Chapter 10: A Mew's Best Friend

_\AN/_

_YAY! XD We made it to double digits!! Thanks to all those who read, and review. I haven't updated because I was working on NaNo all month. Thanks for being so patient! I appreciate you guys reviewing._

WARNING: There will more than likely be mistakes and errors in here.

Chapter 10:

A Mew's Best Friend

"You're only going to work on Fridays?" Eliot repeated for the nth time, making sure he heard her right.

"Yes," Amaya nodded yet again.

"Why?" he asked, folding his arms.

"I'm sorry but that's none of your business," she replied, keeping a straight face. "I have my schedule, and thats the only time I can fit in working here."

"Surely you can come up with some other day to work," he pressed.

"You said yourself I can work when its the most convenient and doesn't clash with what I have planned," she said.

"But only one day?" he asked, socking an eyebrow.

"Like I said, none of your business," she said, standing up. "I'll be leaving now."

"The Halloween Party is on Sunday," Eliot huffed, folding his arms. "I expect to see you there. It is after all an employee event as well as one for customers."

"...We'll see," she hesitated, turning toward the door.

"Would you like to take some cookies with you?" Wesley offered, coming into the dinning room. Amaya looked at him, then down at the platter of Halloween shaped sugar cookies. She felt a pang in her stomach, and didn't want to be rude, so she took a few.

"Thank you," she half-smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Of course," Wesley nodded.

"Why only one day?" Eliot asked again when she left.

"She could be really busy with stuff," Wesley shrugged, biting one of his cookies shaped like a pumpkin.

"Doing what kind of stuff?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow in reflexive curiosity.

"Things that aren't any of your business," his friend grinned childishly. "Don't be so serious. I'm sure she's got good reasons for not being able to work a lot. Shouldn't that make you happy though? Not having to pay another employee a lot? It's more money we're saving."

"With the money this place is hauling in, I doubt we need to worry about saving," Eliot sighed in annoyance. "I'm going to work on the program."

"Still trying to find out what's wrong?" Wesley asked, following close behind, munching on cookies as he went.

"And why wouldn't I?" he asked, moving into the kitchen.

"MMMM!" MAL greeted ecstatically, landing on Wesley's shoulder.

"Want a cookie?" he offered humbly.

"LLL!" She chimed giddily, grabbing a ghost shaped cookie.

"You won't find anything that I already have," Wesley sighed, watching his friend descend the stairs determinedly. "There's nothing we can do! Maybe when we find the 12th, we can try for a 13th!"

"We won't have time," Eliot grumbled, disappearing into the darkness.

\NMM/

"I've out done myself today," Tiffany chimed, strutting down the sidewalk, her arms filled with shopping bags(as usual). She'd cut school a little early, decided to hit the street of very expensive clothing stores with sales, and actually got some good deals. She managed to get two shoes pairs of shoes for $100, a cute new purse for $150, plus many other things that weren't on sale, but she had to have. She could help but pa,per herself with the money she got for her allowance. She didn't have anything else to use thew money for, so why not spend it all on the latest fashions?

Feeling her stomach growl, she headed to find someplace with vegetarian food on the menu. She hadn't eaten meat in years. She stopped when she realized she was eating other living animals. She liked animals, and felt like a cannibal eating other things that were once alive, so she became a vegetarian.

Turning the corner, a restaurant that served people outside came into view, and she stopped dead when she saw him sitting at one of the tables._ Its Kotona's brother_, she said silently. _What's his name? Sheral? Shero? Shieru! That's it. What's he doing? _She crept closer, and saw he looked depressed. His eyes were out of focus, staring down at his half eaten burger and untouched fries as he stirred his straw around subconsciously. He looks upset, she thought, stating the obvious. Maybe he needs some Tiffany charm to perk him up. Probably just had an off day at school. She tiptoed across the street, and traveled past the restaurant, then cross back and back tracked so she could come up from behind him.

"Hey sexy," she chimed, sticking her head over his shoulder.

"Holy-!" Shieru gasped, nearly falling off his seat.

"Sorry did I startle you?" Tiffany giggled lightly, standing up straight again.

"Oh, it's only you," he replied in a board tone and turned back to his untouched food. _Only me?_, Tiffany repeated silently, feeling like she was just slapped in the face.

"Of course its me," she smiled, pretending the comment didn't hurt her, and sat herself across from him. He only raised an eyebrow questioningly, but didn't object. Placing her bags on either side of Tiffany, she folded her hands on her lap and smiled. Shieru only blinked at her awkwardly.

"Um, do you want some of my food?" he offered, after a few more moments of awkward silence.

"Uh, sure," she hesitated, taking only one fry, and nibbled it.

"Is that seriously all your going to take?" he asked, looking at her disapprovingly.

"What do you expect?" she snapped. "Do you know how greasy things are?"

"Which means they contain a lot of fat right?" he asked.

"And carbs," she added, swallowing the last of the little fry.

"Uh huh," he nodded, resting his chin on his hand. "What brings you here?"

"Shopping," Tiffany beamed. "I love shopping."

"If you had a little dog, you could pull off that stereotypical girly girl look," Shieru mused, his depressing air disappearing.

"I don't like dogs, I'm more of a cat person," she sighed. "Plus My mom's allergic to animals, so I can't have any."

"You know people who are allergic can get over their allergies by getting use to being around a pet?" he said, twiddling with the straw of his milk shake.

"And I care because....?" she asked, waving her hand.

"Just throwing it out there," he shrugged. "Two people like us don't have much to talk about anyways."

"Sure we do," she said defiantly.

"What is there then?" he asked, leaning forward in interest.

"Well...," she tapped her finger on her chin in thought. He looked at her intently as she seriously spent time trying to think of something they could talk about. _Man, the Guide should have a section on finding stuff you have in common with boys,_ she thought, feeling her head starting to hurt from the strain.

"Okay, I can't think of anything," she sighed in defeat, "but I also don't know a lot about you, so I can't really say if we ever will have stuff to talk about."

"True," he nodded. "All I know about you is that you is what my sister tells me."

"And what's that?" she asked tilting her head.

"That you're crazy," he grinned.

"I'm not crazy," she scoffed, flipping her curls over her shoulder.

"That's how my sister reports," he shrugged. "I believe what she tells me, and from what I've seen."

"So you have been checking me out," she grinned flirtatiously.

"No, but you did show up on my front porch," he replied.

"And what is that suppose to show?" she asked.

"That you're obsessive," Shieru shrugged, leaning back.

"I am not a stalker," Tiffany gasped. "We were walking Kotona home. A nice gesture on my part."

"With no hidden gain?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I actually didn't even think of it like that until your house came into view," she sighed. "I'll admit I'm not the sharpest bulb in the drawer." Shieru tried stifling a laugh.

"What?" she demanded. "I wasn't even trying to be funny."

"Sorry, its nothing," he chuckled, smiling. His smile didn't last long, it soon faded and he stared down at the table, that depressed air around him again.

"Why are you so down?" she asked, sounding exasperated. "It's such a beautiful day out, school's finally over_ and_ I found sales today."

"I don't wanna talk about it," he sighed, twirling his straw again. "Especially not with you."

"Well I don't see anyone else around who's willing to listen," she snapped, holding her arms out.

"You're willing to listen?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, but I sometimes do zone out," she admitted. "So if it can be summed up in once sentence, I'd advise using it when talking to me." Shieru didn't reply at first, but Tiffany sat there patiently, twiddling her thumbs, hoping he'd say something.

"My girlfriend broke up with me," he finally replied, not looking at her. She blinked. She wasn't sure how to respond. The majority of her wanted her to jump up and down in victory, and snatch him as her own, but there was a small part of her that felt....bad. She felt bad that he got dumped. What girl in her right mind would want to dump him? Well she must have gotten bored obviously, but that wasn't the point. She was feeling bad, and for a_ guy_ of all people. She was use to being there for her heart-broken friends(who were all girls), but she'd never witness a guy suffering from a break up. It made him seem more....normal.

"You should try ice cream," she suggested, not really sure what else to say. "And chocolate really does make you feel better when you're depressed." Shieru looked up at her confused.

"Is that it?" he asked.

"Is what it?" she asked, looking confused.

"No, 'That's such awesome news!', or 'Now you're single you wanna go out?', or-"

"Okay I get it," she snapped cutting him off. "I'm not that heartless."

"Sometimes you can act brainless," he mumbled to himself.

"Excuse me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes threateningly.

"Um, nothing," he replied, averting his eyes. They fell into silence, and Tiffany fidgeted in her seat as her stomach growled.

"Why don't you take more," he pressed sliding his basket of fries toward her. "I'm not gonna eat anymore."

"I don't want to," she snapped, sliding it back. "And why aren't you going to eat the rest of it?" He only shook his head at her, looking annoyed. She made a face. She did feel bad for him though, and wondered what she could do to make him feel a little better. To make her friends feel better she often did things she normally wouldn't do. When Chie's cat died, Tiffany wore a striped shirt with a plaid skirt(something she'd never do) and it made her laugh._ What could I do write now that could make him laugh?_ she wondered, wracking her brain for an answer. She actually sat there for 2 whole minutes before it finally hit her.

Ewwww, she thought, eying the burger. _He's a guy. Maybe it won't make him laugh. This is such a stupid idea. _Still he showed no signs of starting up another conversation. What better than "I can't believe I just ate that meat" as an icebreaker? Sucking in a breath, she reached over and took the burger, and shoved it in her mouth before Shieru even realized what she was doing.

"What?" Shieru said, staring at her wide-eyed when she ripped off a piece and began to chew it. She took in a startled gasp from the taste, and began to choke.

"Here, here!" Shieru frantically shoved the milk shake at her. She took it and downed almost the entire thing. She sighed again, glad her throat was clear.

"Was it really that gross?" Shieru asked. Tiffany looked down at the rest of the burger then up at him, and smiled.

"It tastes awesome!" she shouted. "This is truly the best thing I've ever eaten!" Shieru only stared at her wide-eyed as she finished the rest of the burger.

"Hey, you!" she called, grabbing the waiter by his sleeve as he walked by. "I want three more of these. And the biggest sized milk shake you got."

"Yes ma'am," he nodded, looking surprised.

"You really like it?" Shieru smiled.

"I do! I do!" Tiffany beamed. "I haven't had meat in....wow, so long. I forgot how good it actually tastes. Wow, it worked."

"What did?" he asked.

"I got you to smile," she grinned.

"You did that....to make me smile?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "And it worked. I feel so accomplished." The waiter returned then with her burgers and milk shake, and she didn't hesitate to dig in.

\NMM/

"You're late," Kita accused, tapping her foot impatiently when Aneeta and Jeremy walked into the school.

"No, we still have a minute before we're suppose to be here," Aneeta pointed out with a smile.

"This is Aneeta we're talking about," Jeremy chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist. "She'd never be late for anything."

"She was late for your date," Kita grinned.

"We both were," Aneeta replied, still blushing slightly. Kita only laughed, before jumping in excitement.

"You guys have to come see this!" She shouted. "It's so awesome! Jay is sooooooooo lucky!"

"What happened?" Aneeta asked, feeling more worried than excited.

"Come, come!" Kita shouted, grabbing Aneeta's hand and yanking her away and down the hall. Jeremy only laughed and followed.

"What is the hurry?" Aneeta demanded, unable to pull herself from the younger Mew's grip. "Is it that important?"

"It's very important," she grinned. "I hope you say yes."

"To what?" she asked, but her question was answered once they stepped inside the gym. A man dressed up like her was from an animal shelter was talking to the school's principal, and on the end of the leash he was holding was the fluffiest dog Aneeta had ever seen. An Old English Sheepdog. Its fur was white and grey, and stuck out in every direction possible, its eyes were even covered by its bushy hair. And attached to the dogs next was Jay. His arms were rapped around his neck, and burying his face in his soft fur.

"Here she is," Kita announced, dragging Aneeta over. The principal and the man turned to her, but before they could say anything, Jay was hugging her and shouting.

"Please please please please please please?!?!" he begged. "Pleeeeeeease can we keep him?"

"Um, what's even going on?" she demanded, blinking in bewilderment.

"This is Daisuke Jin," the principal introduced. "He's from the local humane society."

"I came here to interest kids and their in adopting animals," he explained. "We're running out of room, but we try our best to accommodate all the animals we can. I brought Makoto here to help warm up to the kids." The dog barked at the sound of his name, and walked forward to sniff Aneeta curiously.

"Hi there," she smiled, ruffling the fur on his head. "What does that have to do with Jay keeping him?"

"We had a school wide draw, and whoever's name was picked, would get Makoto free of charge," Daisike explained.

"And my name was picked!" Jay shouted, beaming with excitement, "and Makoto really loves me. Please can we keep him?"

"Does he need shots?" Jeremy had finally joined them, and reached between Kita and Aneeta to pet the excited dog.

"He's had all his shots, he's been checked for any illnesses, and has perfect health," Daisuke nodded.

"I say keep him," Jeremy shrugged.

"Yay!" Jay cheered, jumping up and down.

"Hey, I have the final say," Aneeta interrupted, holding him down by his shoulders. "Well mom and dad do, but they let me make a lot of decisions."

"Awww," Jay pouted. "Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"

"We have to pay for supplies and stuff," she reminded him. "Like food, toys, a bed, grooming supplies."

"You've got a job," he protested.

"Yeah, but-"

"I could chip in," Jeremy offered.

"What?" Aneeta and Jay shouted in unison.

"I said I could chip in," he repeated, shrugging. "I could by him toys or something. No big deal."

"Really?" Jay grinned, practically bursting with excitement.

"You don't have to do that," Aneeta insisted. "We can pay for everything, I mean, if we keep him."

"If?" Jay whined. "Come on Neeta!

"Don't come on Neeta me," she sighed, trying to think it over. It would be kind of nice having a pet in the house, but he'd require a lot of attention, and he'd probably make a mess of the house, then she'd spend her time after school cleaning.

"He's properly trained not to make a mess of the house," Daisuke spoke as if reading her mind, "but he's more of a outside dog anyways, so as long as you have a nice backyard, he should be okay."

"Pleeeeeeease," Jay begged, actually falling to his knees. "Please please please?"

"Fine," Aneeta sighed.

"THANK YOU!" Jay screamed, hugging her tightly. "Thank you thank you thank you!" Makoto barked, feeling the excitement.

"You're going to come home with me boy," Jay grinned, hugging his new friend. "This is going to be so much fun."

"Yes, it is," Aneeta sighed again.

\NMM/

"How's the homework coming?" Kotona's dad asked, sticking his head into her room.

"Just fine," she sighed, twiddling her pencil between her fingers. Her father had gotten her some advanced math work books, and she had to complete 10 pages everyday. For todays count, she was on page 2, and had spent well over on them because she didn't feel like doing them. Being forced to do homework was no fun. She liked doing the small amount she got from school, but her dad always had to magnify it by large degrees, ruining the fun.

"When you're finished those you can start an essay," he suggested.

"Another one?" she gasped, looking up at him in disbelief. "I just did one last week."

"Doing another will improve your writing skills," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Which you need a lot of work on."

"I also just finished a speech," she mumbled, slamming her cheek down on her fist that was resting on the desk.

"And how'd you do on that?" he asked, folding his arms.

"I did well," she shrugged. "The words were good, I'm just not cut out for talking to in front of people..." Ryoichi liked it, she thought, trying to hide her smile from her dad.

"Well, maybe that's what you'll do," he said thoughtfully. "Write another speech,and present it."

"In front of who?" Kotona demanded, her mouth hanging open.

"I'll think of something," her dad shrugged. "Maybe you can talk at the Halloween thing the Cafe's having." Kotona's mouth still hung open as her dad left the room, closing the door behind him.

"This is unbelievable," she growled. "When can I ever catch a break?" She put her pencil down, before stretching her hands above her head as far as she could.

"Maybe I could say something before the Halloween Party stars," she shrugged. "Like welcoming them ,and telling them all about the events that are going on. Maybe I could invite Ryoichi." She grinned widely at the thought. When she had finally given her speech, he had come up to her again to tell her how much he enjoyed it, and that he thought she was very smart for their grade. That made her do even more research on space, just in case he ever had any questions, but besides that, homework continued to be a drag.

Kotona heard a basketball in the driveway, so she jumped out of her chair and ran to the window. She expected to see a whole bunch of guys down there in the driveway, hoping she'd have a reason to escape her bedroom, but she didn't. She did see her brother, but he was with a girl, with familiar black curly hair.

"No, that can't be...," she gasped, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head in disbelief. "That's Tiffany!" Shieru was showing Tiffany how to shoot a basketball, just like she had shown Kita, but he was much more touchy about it. He was standing behind her, with her back against his chest, and he held her wrists to show her the proper form for shoot.

"I gotta stop this insanity!" Kotona panicked, racing for the door. "He just broke up with his girlfriend, and now she's using her guy-possessing voodoo on him!" She ran down the stairs, and jumped over the last few, almost tripping on the hallway carpet. She heard the ball hit the backboard just as she yanked the front door open, followed by screams of excitement.

"I did it!" Tiffany squealed, jumping up to hug Shieru.

"Ha, yeah you did," he grinned, hugging her back, and even swinging her around with her feet in the air.

"Oh, I'm too late," she groaned, watching the cute scene in dismay. "Oh well...she better treat him right then. If she don't she'll suffer the wrath of my hockey stick."

"Oh, hey Kotona!" Shieru waved, when he noticed her.

"Did you see that?" Tiffany grinned, skipping over to her. "Did you _see_ that? I shot a basket! That was the first time I've ever done something like that! It was amazing! Exciting! Exhilarating!"

"Who knew you had such a big vocabulary?" Kotona blinked up at her.

"Is that what these earrings are called?" she asked, motioning to the huge, glittering things hanging from her ears. "I thought they were called something like chandeliers." Kotona shook her head, knowing she spoke too soon.

"I wanna do that again!" Tiffany cheered, going to retrieve the ball. When Kotona caught his eye, she gave him a what-the-heck-are-you-think look, and made a she-doesn't-have-a-full-brain motion. He only gave her a don't-judge-me wave, accompanied by a she's-actually-nice look. She gave him a whatever-it's-your-sanity roll of her eyes, and turned to go inside.

"Why don't you stay and play?" Tiffany called after her. "We could have a game."

"Yeah, I could call some of the guys over," Shieru nodded. "How about it Kotona?" His younger sister only looked back over her shoulder with a half smile.

"Nah, that's okay," she replied. "I'll just...finish my homework."

\NMM/

"Here's your new home!" Jay announced, as Aneeta opened the front door. Shoving her aside with great force, he raced into the house barking widely.

"Oh no!" Aneeta gasped. "Grab him before he breaks something!" Leaving the door open, the two siblings chased after the furry dog. he ran through the living room, jumping over the coffee table, and bolted into the kitchen, running a lap around the tables and chairs before returning to the hallway, and running back into the living room.

"What is he doing?" Aneeta gasped, putting a hand against the wall, gasping for breath.

"He's just...running in circles," Jay blinked, watching the dog go. "He must be really excited."

"Maybe a little too excited," she thought out loud. "He's moving so fast...I'm surprised he hasn't knocked anything over yet." Breaking his pattern, when Makoto reached the hallway again, he took off up the stairs.

"He can definitely break something up there!" Aneeta freaked, chasing after him.

"Makoto!" Jay called, running after her. "Here boy! Sit!" Aneeta ran to her parent room first, and shut the door, before rushing to the other ones. She shut the bathroom, and Jay's room, but she was too late to save hers. The large dog had settled himself on her bed, with his tongue hanging out of his tongue, panting, making him look adorable.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "There's nothing for you in here. You'll be staying in Jay's room once my parents know about you. Now out!" She pointed toward the door, but the dog wouldn't budge.

"Makoto, go!" she ordered. The dog stopped panting, and titled its head at her.

"What's he doing?" Jay asked in a quiet voice, sticking his head in.

"He's not listening," Aneeta sighed, shaking her head. "Some obedient dog."

"Come Makoto!" Jay called, holding out his hand. The dog finally barked, and jumped off of her bed.

"Why didn't he listen to me?" she sighed in frustration.

"I guess he doesn't like doing what girls tell him to do," he shrugged.

"Aneeta?" a worried voice called from downstairs. "Jay?"

"We're up here!" Aneeta answered, pushing past boy-and-his-dog. "Wait here. I'll break it to mom."

"You make it sound like your telling her about someone dieing," Jay giggled. Aneeta motioned for him to be quiet, then descended the stairs.

"Why is the door open?" Georgia asked, slipping her shoes off.

"I forgot to close it," Aneeta answered, picking at her jacket. "Had to quickly take care of something."

"Oh, well next time, make sure you shut the door at least," she warned, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "It makes it easier for someone just to waltz in and steal something."

"Yeah, sorry, I won't do it again," Aneeta grinned, scratching her head anxiously. "Um, there's something I wanted to ask you about."

"Sure what is it?" Her mother asked, trying to push past her to head up the stairs.

"Wait!" she shouted, throwing herself in front of her with her heart pounding.

"What?" she demanded, looking at her incredulously. "What are you doing? You know I always go upstairs to-" She was cut off by the anxious barking of the beast upstairs.

"What is that?" Georgia asked in a monotone, her lips pursed, look up past her daughter.

"That's...what I wanted to talk to you about," Aneeta chuckled, trying to grin innocently. "You see, Jay had a visitor from the animal shelter-"

"Can I keep him!" Jay cried from the top of the stairs, his dark head hanging over the banister.

"Keep him?" Georgia gasped, blankly staring when Makoto came into view.

"He's a good dog," Jay pleaded desperately. "He listens to me, and he probably will listen to dad, but I don't think he listens to girls because he thinks they have cooties."

"Hey!" Aneeta snapped, giving him a warning glance. Georgia looked uneasily at the fur beast that tugged against Jay's hold, trying to come down the stairs to greet her.

"He really is sweet mom," Aneeta smiled, weakly. "We'll take care of him. Give him a chance? It'll be nice having someone else around the house." The two children, and the dog waited impatiently, waiting for their mother to say something. To show any sign of her decision. She just kept staring at the dog, frozen in place at the base of the stairs.

"Mom....?"

"He's so adorable!" Georgia finally squealed, catching her children off guard.

"RUFF!" Makoto barked at the excitement in her voice, and tugged against Jay's hold.

"He's...what?" Aneeta asked, completely dumbfounded.

"Aren't you the cutest thing!" she cooed, dropping her purse to meet him half way up the stairs. She started making kissy sounds, and talking in a high pitched baby voice, ruffling his ears, and being licked in the face.

"So you're okay with me keeping him?" Jay grinned from ear to ear in utter joy.

"Oh of course," Georgia giggled, when Makoto nuzzled her face. "Oh, I don't know why we didn't get a dog sooner."

"When can we go shopping for his supplies?" Jay asked, nearly jumping out of his own skin in happiness.

"Well, we can go now," their mother smiled. "Wanna come along Aneeta?" To answer her, Aneeta's Mew Phone went off.

"Just, let me take this," she said, running into the kitchen. "Hello?"

"There's an Alien a few blocks form your house," Amaya's voice said calmly amongst the screams of hysteric people in the background. "Just turn left out of your house."

"Has it hurt anyone?" she panicked, already heading for the door.

"Just hurry," she advised. "I'll be waiting."

"So you aren't coming?" Georgia asked, disappointedly when she saw her close her phone.

"Sorry, I promised to meet the others," Aneeta shrugged, with an apologetic shrug. "Buy Makoto a bear for me."

"Sure thing," Jay nodded with a smile, but it didn't touch his eyes. She could see he knew what she was really doing, and she saw them watch her in worry. She gave him a small nod, before heading out the door. She instantly broke out into a hard run down the side walk, the wind pounding in her ears, and adrenaline pumping through her veins, causing her heart to race. She heard the people before she saw them. A few blocks down, just like Amaya had said, people were running away form a pair of moving trees. Their limbs weren't colorful with the colors of fall, but dry and brown, and bent in unimaginable positions to create their limbs. With their roots as tentacles, they lashed out at people, throwing them across the street. Aneeta froze in horror when she saw someone being sent through a glass window.

"Oh my god," she gasped, nearly choking on a lump that rose in her throat.

"Aneeta!" Mew Icing dropped down next to her, and grabbed her shoulder. "Focus, you have to transform."

"W-where are the others?" she stammered, hardly able to pry her eyes from the horrific sight.

"Kotona and Tiffany aren't answering, and Kita can't pull herself away," the older mew replied. "Don't worry, we can take care of this. Focus, we have to help these people." There was strength, and confidence in those light blue eyes, as well as understanding and compassion. Aneeta nodded, mostly to herself, and took a shaking breath.

"Alright," she breathed, taking out her power pendant. "You don't think any will see me?"

"I doubt they'll even notice," Icing shrugged, taking out her katana. Giving an encouraging nod, she leapt into the air, aiming for the trees. Aneeta squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on what she had to do she kissed her pendant.

"Mew Mew Plum! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!" She was embraced by the air of the cool night, and felt her clothes fade away, being replaced by her stylish Mewfit, with animal parts as her accessories.

"Jingle Chuck!" She called out, and her decorative weapon appeared. Most of the people had fled, only a few were scattered with injuries from the aliens.

"Ugh!" Icing grunted, slicing through one of the trees' branches that they used for limbs. The tree groaned, and growled in discomfort, but it only bent another branch down to take its place.

"It's like they have tentacles everywhere," Icing growled, in annoyance, ducking when she was swung at.

"Then maybe we can try cutting them all off?" Plum suggested, whipping her nun chuck at it. She whacked it across the trunk, where its face was, only made it sway.

"ICING...SHATTERING...STAR...CRASH!" Using her glowing katana to create a six pointed star, she sent it flying at the tree with her fist. It came into hard contact, causing it to crash into the other, sending smoke up into the air.

"Did we get it?" Plum asked hopefully, trying to see through the smoke.

"I don't think so," Icing frowned when they heard a gurgling growl form the center of the mess.

"They're bark is too thick," Plum sighed in dismay. They would beat them, they had to, they always did. If they didn't the trees could cause even more damage than they already have. Cars were squashed, house windows were broken, blood was splattered lightly everywhere...

"Then we'll just have to break it," Icing shouted, dashing at them, twirling her katana with skill. Plum followed close behind, spinning her nunchuck in an invisible blur. The trees brought all their branches down as a shield, and swung their roots to knock them off their feet. The mews leapt over the tentacles, and using her katana, Amaya cut through the branches, creating an opening.

"PLUM NIGHT PIERCE!" the purple mew shouted, whipping her nunchuck at the opening, piercing right through the thick bark. The tree reared its head back, practically shattering the air with an earsplitting shriek. To put out of its misery, Icing stabbed the tree with her katana as well, and twisted back and forth until she felt it hit something sensitive, causing the tree to go limp, and then disintegrate.

"Nice jo-" Plum was cut off abruptly by a force that knocked her breath out, and her through the air. Her head smacked off something herd, sending tremors through her body. She tried to move, but couldn't find her limbs. She knew they were there, she just couldn't get a signal out to them that they needed to move. So she lay there, where it was, helpless, defenseless, hoping, wishing she could somehow gain control again. Her wishes were answered when something wet slapped her cheek.

"EW!" She screeched, her arms flailing reflexively.

"She's alive!" someone shrieked. "Good boy! Oh, you are such a good boy." Aneeta could feel her senses comeback to her, and her ears were filled with an irritable ringing, her body was stiff, and her mouth felt dry.

"Aneeta are you okay?" a familiar voice asked calmly.

"Say something!" another voice cried dramatically.

"Something-" she grumbled, struggling to open her eyes. She was surrounded by a bunch of faces, and one of the was her mother.

"Mom!" Aneeta gasped, jerking upright, sending her head into a spinning frenzy.

"It's okay, just lay back," she said soothingly, using her hand to push her back down.

"What...happened?" she asked, blinking widely, unsure of what to say.

"You tripped on the sidewalk," Kotona said, leaning over the edge of the couch. "You tripped when we tried running from the weird trees. Don't you remember?"

"Um...," she stammered, pretending to wrack her brain. "I think so..."

"You should have seen Makoto!" Jay shouted, nearly jumping on them. "He felt there was trouble before we did! he ran away from us, and we followed, then we saw him standing over you protectively with the girls sitting with you, while this girl in white and light blue fought the tree!"

"Girl in white and light blue?" Aneeta asked, looking at each face individually. She noticed Amaya wasn't amongst them.

"He's such a good dog," Tiffany grinned, ruffling his fur. "You guys are lucky."

"You can afford a dog can't you?" Kita asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Yes, but I don't want one," she shrugged, looking at her nails. "It would only put fur all over my designer clothes."

"Yeah, so you wouldn't be able to impress your new boyfriend," Kita snickered, mischievously.

"New boyfriend?" Aneeta gasped, her mouth hanging open. "How much did I miss?"

"Well, we aren't really official or anything," Tiffany shrugged, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"I'll take that as my cue," Georgia smiled, standing up, leaving a washcloth on Aneeta's head. "Come on Jay."

"Let's go boy," Jay called, waving Makoto over eagerly. "We don't wanna get wrapped up in their girl drama." Makoto barked in agreement, his tongue hanging out as he pranced after his new master.

"She's finally got my brother on her hook," Kotona summed up, putting her fists on her hips. "He became single, and she threw in her line."

"Hey, I told you, I was just trying to make him feel better," Tiffany snapped defensively. "I ate meat for him, and I haven't eaten meat since I was a kid."

"Wow, that's..." Aneeta was at a loss for words.

"Let's just say I don't think I'll be having fun with him anytime soon," Kotona huffed. "He'll be spending time with you now. I could barely pull him away form Martina."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll work something out," Kita grinned. "You never know, you guys could be seeing each other for the rest of your lives."

"Great..," Kotona groaned, sinking to the floor.

"Hey!" Tiffany shouted, taking offense. Aneeta only shook her head at them and smiled. She couldn't help but find her friends' bickering amusing. Her friends....real friends. Friends who made up stuff to cover for what she was really doing. Not that she was doing anything wrong, it was just better to keep her mom from knowing, along with the rest of the world.

"So how bad is it?" Aneeta asked, with a deep frown. The others stopped, and awkward silence hung over them.

"It was bad," Kita finally answered, pulling at her bangs. "They had police and ambulances....there's still probably a few cop cars out there."

"The news crew is probably still out there too," Kotona nodded. "I bet they got some good footage of us..."

"Especially of me," Tiffany sighed, in self-admiration, earning a disapproving grunt from Kita. "And of you of course. You should have seen it Aneeta. Kita and I did a tag-team attack!"

"Really?" Aneeta asked in amazement, finally sitting herself up.

"Yeah, we were able to combine out weapons and attacks, and we managed to take out the alien with ease," Kita grinned proudly. "For the next battle, we'll have to show you."

"Yeah, that'll be great," she smiled, nodding lightly so she wouldn't give herself a headache.

Preview of Chapter 11:

This is Mewllaween

Kita - It's the Halloween Party!

Kotona - Do we have to dress up?

Tiffany - Of course. It's a must! And I must say, my costume is going to be stunning.

Kita - There's going to be candy! And games! And contests!

Amaya - And ghosts.

Kotona - Whoa! Where'd you come from?

Kita - That was scary... *blinks at Amaya*

Aneeta - Ghosts?

Amaya - Yes. Ghosts.

*Amaya leaves*

Kita *whines* - Not ghosts again! We already had the scares of our lives last week!

Kotona - It is Halloween...

Aneeta - Oh, also if anyone has any costume suggestions for the cast, please let us know in your reviews!


	11. Chapter 11: This is Mewllaween

\AN/

Today is the last day of winter break, so I'm celebrating with an update! ^ ^ Enjoy!

Chapter 11: This is Mewllaween

_The eight critical victims of last weeks plant attack are still hospitalized. Extraterrestrial activity has remain at minimal since then, but the civilians of Nagoya are panicking. They fear for their safety, and their lives, and the drop in the economy this could cause. They are wondering, who are these aliens, what do they want, and what'll it take for them to leave our city alone?_

_The only other thing causing as much buzz as these attacks, are the new group that has assembled just to take care of these incidents. Nagoya Mew Mew, they call themselves, a group similar to that of Tokyo Mew Mew, a group of girls who look like animals and have the ability to battle against the threat against Nagoya. They remain anonymous, and avoid the media, but that only raises the curiosity of individuals everywhere. Man young girls, and even boys are asking how they can join the group, and join the resistance against the aliens. _

_The mayor is doubting that Nagoya Mew Mew can protect their city, and is questioning whether to ask for help and multiply the numbers of policemen in the city, and even bring in armed forces when if the attacks worsen. All we can hope for is that not too much more blood is spilled, and that this is solved quickly._

_I'm Arina Minomi.  
_

Aneeta turned off the television with the remote, and placed it gently on the counter. This is getting more out of control than I thought, she said silently, mixing paint. There were actually a lot more attacks than what the media was aware of, thats because they've become more discrete. I guess they don't want to be seen anymore just as much as us, she thought, fixing up the yellow.

"Okay its stiff!" Jay grinned, bounding into the room with Makoto tailing him. Those two were practically joined at the hip. When ever Jay left the house, Makoto would sit on the couch and wit for him to return. He was also a good sensor for aliens. He could sense them coming and give them good enough warnings so they could prepare. Jay sat on the chair she had pulled out from the table. His hair was sticking up in the back thanks to an extensive amount of hair gel, and his bangs were sectioned and jagged.

"Okay, the paints ready for your bangs," she smiled, whipping up the yellow paint. "I'll miss the red when I finish with your bangs."

"This is so cool!" Jay cheered, flailing his arms in excitement, almost knocking the paint tub out of his older sister's hands. "My costume is gonna be the best out of everyone's!"

"Let's see what the judges think then huh?" Aneeta grinned, beginning to cover his bangs with yellow paint. "Did you get your puzzle finished?"

"I'll just need to glue it," He nodded in response, almost yanking his lock of hair from her hands.

"And your clothes?" she asked, lifting her eyebrow as she moved onto the next section.

"They are laying on my bed," Jay announced proudly, ready to jump out of his chair in excitement. "I'm soooo going to win the costume contest!"

"We'll see," she smirked, dipping the paint brush into the die.

"So how many layers of this stuff do you need to put in?" he asked, getting antsy.

"Just two," she shrugged. "You want to look legit right?"

"Of course," Jay grinned, making Makoto bark in agreement.

"What is that smell?" Their dad, Denis asked, coming into the room with his nose plugged with his hand.

"It's the hair paint dad," Aneeta smiled apologetically. "Don't worry, I'm almost done. I just have to add the red to the tips of his hair."

"Guess who I am?" Jay grinned.

"Hmm," He took a second to look at his hair. "A colorful porcupine?" He guessed with a shrug.

"No," he laughed. "I'm gonna be Yugi Moto! The King of Games!"

"Oh, oh I see it now," Their dad nodded, taking a step back as if trying to see the whole picture. "Yes, yes I see it. You'll have the puzzle thing hanging from your neck, and the cool outfit."

"It's all thanks to Neeta," Jay smiled. "She's awesome."

"Now stop moving or I wont finish," she warned, mixing the red paint now.

"What are you dressing up as Aneeta?" Denis asked, opening the fridge.

"I'm just going to wear my uniform," she replied, streaking the ends of his hair with the paint.

"That's it?" he blinked in surprise, pulling out a carton of juice. "Why don't you dress up?"

"I don't feel like it," she shrugged. "I never did like dressing up."

"You and Jeremy can match," Jay suggested.

"I'm not even sure if he's dressing up either," she sighed, redipping the paintbrush. "But it doesn't matter."

"Is he going to come still?" Jeremy gasped. "He's suppose to take me trick-or-treating while you get the party ready."

"More like you're dragging him around town," she corrected, lifting an eyebrow at him. "Just because he's my boyfriend doesn't mean he has to do stuff for you."

"He offered," He snapped, sticking out his tongue.

"After you were on your knees begging me to skip work to take you," she snapped back, poking his tongue with the other end of the paint brush.

"Kids," Denis sighed delightfully, leaving them to their bickering. With a few more strokes of the brush, Jay's hair was done.

"Alright, now sit here until it dries," she ordered, closing up the tubs.

"Not more sitting," he whined, looking over at the clock. "He's going to be here in a half hour!"

"It only takes ten minutes for it to dry," she explained, cleaning off the counter. "Now sit still and be quiet." Jay slouched in his chair, and petted Makoto's head while he waited. The dog barked once before there was a knock on the door.

"He's good," Aneeta grinned, going to answer it.

"Can I move yet?" cried after her.

"No," she answered in a light tone, before opening the door. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw who was standing there. It was a boy, looking about her age, and he was dressed up like Jack Skellington. He had on a black pinstripe suit, his face was painted paper white, with make up used to make stitches extending from his mouth and dark circles around his eyes, and he looked bald with that top hat on.

"Trick or treat," he grinned.

"Um," she stammered, blinking rapidly. "W-we don't have candy right now. It's a little early for-" The boy broke out into hysterical laughter which made her inch back, ready to slam the door in his face.

"It's me, Jeremy," he laughed.

"Huh?" He took off his hat, and his brown hair fell out and in his face.

"Cool costume huh?" he grinned, putting the hat back on but not bothering to stick his hair back in it.

"Oh, yeah," she nodded, trying to slow down her heart rate.

"You should have seen your face when you opened the door," he chuckled, hugging her. "You looked like you were seeing a ghost."

"I-I'm not a real fan of Halloween," she shrugged.

"Alright your here!" Jay sheered, jumping into the hallway.

"Sit down!" Aneeta snapped. "So you want it to stay or what?" Jay stuck his tongue out and stomped back into the kitchen.

"Took a while?" Jeremy asked, closing the door behind him.

"The styling did yes," she nodded. "The coloring not so much, but I want it to stay, or else he'll be complaining later."

"Ya that'd be pretty bad," he agreed. "So, what are you being?"

"I'm going to be a waitress at Cafe Mew Chi Lou," she grinned trying to look enthusiastic as she went back into the kitchen to put the tubs away.

"You aren't dressing up?" He asked, looking disappointed.

"I know huh?" Jay nodded. "She's got no spirit."

"I...just never liked dressing up ridiculously," she shrugged.

"It's not ridiculous," Jay protested.

"No, it's just, not enjoyable for me," she sighed, taking the tubs to the living room.

"She got scared when she was little didn't she?" Jeremy whispered.

"No, it's just she gets nervous when dressing up," he whispered back.

"Stop whispering about me," she shouted form the other room.

"Does she always do that?" Jeremy asked, blinking in amazement.

"Yeah, but she only started recently because-" Jay cut himself off before he said too much.

"Because what?" he urged.

"Because I've started working," Aneeta finished, coming back in. "I've gotten better hearing since working there. Alright squirt, you can go get changed now."

"Yes!" Jay cheered, jumping from the chair. "Freedom!" He didn't hesitate to book it up the stairs as fast as he could, with his dog in tow.

"Are you sure you're not dressing up?" Jeremy asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Dressing up isn't all that bad. You don't have to walk around in a Banana suit or something."

"I'm sure," she nodded, picking up towel Jay dropped when he left. "I only help others with their costumes and decorations. I leave myself plain."

"Well yo-"

"ANEETA!" With a loud bang the front door burst open, and a blur of light blue bounced off the walls, landing on the counter. Aneeta had fallen back and almost hit her head on the sink.

"Oops, sorry about that," giggled the bubbling girl. "It's Halloween!"

"Kita?" Aneeta gasped, holding her chest.

"What, did the hair give it away?" she grinned brightly from ear to ear. She was wearing a light blue dress that ended at her thighs, with a white apron that had the four suits of a deck of cards on the bottom, a pair of small black shoes and black and white striped tights that went all the way up. Her bangs were pinned back with black clips to make it look like two long ponytails and she wore a little mascara.

"Alice in Wonderland," Jeremy guess, helping Aneeta onto her feet.

"Yes," she grinned, clapping excitedly. "And you're Jack from the Nightmare Before Christmas! And....Aneeta where's your costume?"

"She's not wearing one," Jay said, coming into the kitchen in full costume.

"Wow, that puzzle looks so real," Kita gasped, jumping down to touch it.

"Careful, the chains thin so it may break," Jay warned.

"Wait Aneeta, you're not dressing up?" Kita asked, the information finally setting in.

"No," she sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm not."

"But you have to!" she gasped. "You're the host! You have to be dressy! You have to look cool!"

"Kita-"

"No, it's a tradition!" Kita shouted, hopping up and down. "You _have_ to dress up! You'll be the only one! And...and..!" The little mew looked like she was going to explode in excitement and disbelief and from excess energy all at the same time.

"Kita, why don't you-" Jeremy began but was cut off by a light, "poof". Aneeta recognized the sound, but it didn't come from her, because she didn't feel anything. It came from Kita.

"Hey, where did-"

"Come on Kita!" Aneeta shouted, putting on a fake smile, and covering the girls head with her hands. "Let me show you to the living room. I'm sure there's some family pictures you havn't seen. Like a Halloween one when I was forced to dress up."

"Can I see?" Jeremy asked, giving her a strange look.

"You have to take me Trick or treating now," Jay insisted, catching onto what she was doing. "Come one! I wanna catch all the good houses before there's no candy left."

"I'll show you another time," Aneeta nodded all too eagerly.

"My head!" Kita grunted, being pushed away into the next room.

"Have fun!" Aneeta called. "I'll see you at the Party!"

"Bye Neeta!" Jay shouted. "Oh wait, Makoto! Come on boy!" The dog answered, and bounded down the stairs, not stopping for his leash.

"Come back!" Jay shouted, running out after him.

"Bye," Jeremy added, before closing the door behind them.

"He didnt sound too happy," Kita said, blinking at the front door.

"Yeah...I'll have to apologize later," Aneeta nodded sadly.

"What was that for?" Kita insisted, finally swatting her hands away.

"Your ears popped out," Aneeta sighed, gesturing to the mirror next to the couch. Kita bounded over eagerly, and put her face so close her nose was almost touching it.

"Oh, they look so cute with my natural color," she giggled, twitching her tiny ears.

"Well pop them back," Aneeta said urgently. "We gotta go to the Cafe."

"It's not like they have an on/off switch," Kita sighed, twitching them again. "I don't know how they popped out."

"It happens whenever you get excited or nervous," she explained. "Well try to calm yourself down while I go get changed."

"You're getting a costume?" Kita gasped, hugging her excitedly.

"No, I'm putting on my uniform," she said, patting her head. "Please Kita, calm down now."

"Okay, okay," she nodded eagerly, hopping around the room. Aneeta could help but smile as she took off up the stairs. When she was out of sight, Kita whipped out her Mew Phone.

"Can't believe I'm doing this," she sighed, dialing speed dial 2. It ringed a few times before being answered.

"Hey Stick," she said, putting a hand on her hip. "I'm going to need some help."

\NMM/

"Where is Tiffany?" Eliot demanded, looking at his watch again. "She's late by a full hour!"

"How am I suppose to know?" Aneeta asked, shrinking back at his anger. It didn't help that he was dressed up like Dracula, so it made him look even more scary. His face was pale, with dark make up around his eyes, and two blood streaks down his chin.

"She'll be here," Kita assured over the spooky music, taking a tray of snack from the Zombie Wesley. "She's coming. She called me earlier."

"She's getting her pay docked," Eliot growled.

"She'll be here," Aneeta smiled, before walking away. The Halloween Party was in full swing, with flashing lights, pounding spooky music, and a ton of people. They had apple bobbing in one corner which was monitored by Kotona who was dressed like a cat, kids coloring center in another who were being monitored by Amaya who was dressed as a female robin hood, there was a pinata in as well, and it was being run by a volunteer Frankenstein since Tiffany still wasn't here, a large table filled with food, and the center was cleared for dancing. Aneeta made her routine round to make sure everything was moving smoothly. There was a bit of shoving over at apple bobbing because one kid splashed another with water, but their parents sorted it out, one guy thought he be smart and try to hit his friend with the pinata bat, but ended up knocking over a bowl of punch. Eliot had him clean it up himself, but then gave the kid a coupon afterwards.

"Neeta! Neeta!" She was passing by the front door when Jay and Jeremy came through the door. Jay was lugging a huge bag of candy, and Makoto had a small bag of his own around his neck, and a batman mask on.

"Have good hunting?" she asked, ruffling Makoto's fur.

"Oh yeah," Jay grinned. "Where can I keep my bags?"

"I can put them in the kitchen," she offered, taking his bag. "What about you Makoto? You want me to put your candy away too?" He happily barked in reply.

"Great turn out huh?" Jeremy said, taking off Makoto's bag.

"Yeah, a lot more people than I expected," she nodded with a smile. "Kita put flyers up everywhere. Her school, her neighbourhood, even other elementary schools."

"I'm a very good advertiser," Kita grinned, popping out of no where. "I got everyone to come!"

"Oh Apple Bobbing!" Jay gasped, grabbing Jeremy's arm. "Come on! Come on!"

"Alright, alright," Jeremy grinned, following willingly.

"Are you dating him, or your brother?" Kita asked, making a face.

"Don't worry, it's still me," she shrugged.

"Doesn't that kind of make you jealous?" she asked, following close behind.

"Of who? Jay or Jeremy?" Aneeta laughed, walking around the dance floor.

"Both," she replied. "Jay's is spending more time with a brother-life figure than you, and Jeremy is being stolen from you whenever Jay's around. Its like your having both of them taken away form you by each other."

"It's fine," she shrugged, walking into the kitchen. "I have a lot of time with him at school."

"Yeah, but outside," she pointed out with wide innocent eyes. "You need to make more time for him."

"Well I have work, and he's got baseball and kendo, and we make time when we can," She said, giving her an evil look. "Don't be so nosey."

"Sorry," she grinned scratching her head. "I guess Stick is rubbing off on me."

"You still call her that?" she asked putting the candy on the shelf.

"Does she still wear revealing clothing and tries to always be fashionable?" Kita countered.

"You will not believe this!" Tiffany shouted, coming through the kitchen doors suddenly. She was wearing a witch costume, with a violet dress on that was really tight at the top, with the hem ended half way down her thighs, and her legs were bare except for the high-heeled ankle boots she had on. Her sleeves were long, but cut so they flowed from her shoulders.

"I rest my case," Kita sighed, gesturing to her outfit. Aneeta tried stifling a laugh.

"Have you seen what Kotona is wearing?" she gasped in fury.

"She's dressed as a cat," Aneeta said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Exactly!" she shouted in an accusing voice. "First she steals my color, and thats not enough for her, so now she's gotta steal my animal too?"

"Calm down," Kita said, waving her hands up at her. "It's just a costume."

"To you it's just a costume," she gasped dramatically, throwing down the big bag she had in her hands. "But to me its everything. It's like she's trying to my identity." Her eyes started to glisten, and she stamped her foot, waving her hand in front of her face.

"Cupcake?" Wesley offered, out of the blue, causing Aneeta to nearly faint at the sight of him.

"No thanks," Tiffany replied, shaking her head. "I had enough sweets. Shieru and I bought chocolate bars."

"How romantic," Kita whispered, rolling her eyes.

"I thought you didn't eat chocolate?" Aneeta asked, folding her arms, and giving her a playful smirk.

"There are some sacrifices a girl is willing to make," she said, fluffing her hair. "Besides, they were really good."

"Your accusing Kotona of steal, while you're stealing her brother?" Kita said, folding her arms to imitate Aneeta.

"MM!" MAL nodded, mimicking them.

"That's different," Tiffany sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "MAL, that is a cute outfit BTW."

"MM!" She chimed, twirling on air. She was dressed like Tinkerbell, with the green dress, a blond wig, and she even sparkled when she flew.

"Maybe she can make us fly too!" Kita grinned excitedly.

"M! M!" The android giggled.

"Will you guys get out here and work already?" Eliot snapped, through the window. "And Tiffany you're docked an hour."

"Whatever," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm guessing that's the stuff huh?" Kita smiled, winking at her.

"What stuff?" Aneeta asked, picking up a tray of mini sandwiches. Tiffany winked back, and the two girls turned to face Aneeta.

"What?" she asked, getting nervous. "What are you guys thinking?" Her heart was pounding anxiously, not wanting to know, but before she knew it, the tray was taken from her hands, and she was being pushed out the door.

\NMM/

After watch Tiffany calmly harass Kotona about her costume, Amaya didn't feel in the spirit anymore. She really didn't feel it in the first place, but watching that made her feel worse. Kotona looked alright though, she shrugged it off pretty well, but Amaya knew it would hurt in the long run. The kids at her table were well behaved. She didn't mind babysitting, she actually preferred it to dealing with adults. A little girl caught her attention when she came up to her, her eyes wet and her face red. She was dressed like Cinderella.

"What's wrong?" she asked, lowering herself to her level, careful so her green skirt didn't rip.

"I lost my daddy," she sniffed, rubbing her eyes. "I can't find him."

"Don't worry," she said taking her hand. "I'll help you find him."

"Thank you Miss Robin," she sniffed again. Amaya stood up again, and scanned her table of kids. She found the oldest one there and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Can you look after the table until I come back?" she asked, giving him an expressionless look. He only nodded under his rocker wig, and Amaya left him to walk around the cafe with the little girl.

"Hey Kotona!" Kotona turned toward the girl saying her name in surprise. She was dressed as a pink musketeer with a black mask over her eyes. She barely recognized her as Jenny Fuller, their class president, and head of the girls' basketball team. She'd never exchanged words with this girl before, so she was genuinely surprised when she knew her name.

"H-hey," she stammered, blinking rapidly.

"This is such a great party," she grinned. "Thanks for giving Ryoichi those fliers. We put them all over, and even made an announcement. I didn't think it'd be that cool, but I have to say I'm impressed."

"Yeah, I heard," she nodded nervously. "Thanks for coming."

"It was nothing," said a guy in a Scream mask that came up to them.

"H-hi Ryoichi," Kotona stuttered when he lifted off his mask.

"Hey," he grinned. "See I told you this would be an amazing party."

"Yes you were right," she nodded, grinning up at him when he put his arm around her waist. Kotona felt her heart drop down to her stomach. _Oh...so they're...._

"We'll see you later," Jenny said, with a small wave, but Kotona barely heard her. _So he's got a girlfriend...._, she thought, swallowing the lump in her throat. _Okay then...I didn't really expect him to like me even if didn't.._. Not feeling in the mood she sat down against the wall, next to Jay's painting.

\NMM/

"Hey, HEY!" Aneeta shouted, trying to struggle against her captives. "What are you doing?" Kita and Tiffany shoved her into the staff lounge.

"You are going to dress up Missy," Tiffany ordered, clearing off the table, and slamming her big purse on it. "You are the only one who isn't dress up."

"But I don't wanna dress up," Aneeta grumbled, scratching her arm nervously.

"Don't worry," Kita grinned holding up her bag of clothing that she pulled from the kitchen. "We got you something pretty to wear. Don't worry, you won't look ridiculous."

"B-but I-"

"No but's!" Tiffany snapped. "Now take off your uniform."

"WHAT?!?!" She shrieked, jumping away form the all too eager girl. "B-But your watching!"

"We need to help you with your costume," Kita insisted, folding the bag over one of the chairs. "We're all girls here. Come on." Aneeta groaned, but hesitantly slipped out of her shoes.

"You have to go faster than that," Tiffany sighed in irritation, coming over, and trying to yank the uniform over her head.

"Not so hard!" Aneeta insisted, trying to pull through. "Ow, ow stop! My hair's caught!"

"I have scissors," Kita chimed.

"NO!" Tiffany and Aneeta shouted in exasperation. Kita only blinked and shrugged, opening the bag to make sure her whole costume was there.

"Hey, where'd the veil go?" Kita asked, pulling the entire dress out.

"Veil?" Aneeta squeaked when Tiffany pulled too hard.

"Yeah, the dress isn't complete without the veil!" she insisted, searching the floor frantically. "I never took it out of the bag."

"Tiffany, my hair!" Aneeta whined.

"Quit complaining," she snapped. "I'm trying to unhook you."

Outside Jeremy had lost sight of Jay amongst the chaotic kids. He felt bad, but kind of relieved. That kid sure is a handful, he thought. I have to give Aneeta props for looking out for him all the time. Where is she by the way? He zig zagged through the crowd, trying to find the other employees of the Cafe to point him in her direction. He couldn't find the hyperactive Alice, the preppy witch, the serious Robin Hood, or the shy cat. He did however find the obnoxious vampire.

"Hey, have you seen Aneeta?" he asked Eliot.

"She went into the Staff lounge I think." He shrugged, picking up a tray of cupcakes Wesley had just passed. "If you find her or the others, tell them to get their butts back out here. I'm not paying them for nothing."

"Okay then," he nodded, making a face when he turned around. "That guys a great host." He made his way to the Cafe, following the walls since they were the less crowded. Hey, whats this?, he bent down and picked up a thin black piece of cloth. Looks like part of some ones costume. Maybe Aneeta will know who it belongs to. When he got to the door he heard a lot of noise, and muffled shouting. He let his curiosity get the best of him, so he opened the door and looked inside.

"There!" Aneeta shouted, throwing her arms up triumphantly, finally pulling free of the uniform. "My hair is free, but tangled." She turned to go to her locker, but froze, when she saw him. She couldn't even scream thats how shocked she was. Jeremy was standing in the door way, eyes wide in surprise, gawking. And there she was, in nothing but her bra, underwear and socks, wishing she were invisible.

"GET OUT!" Tiffany screeched, throwing Aneeta's uniform at his face so hard that he fell out the door. Kita sped to the door slamming it shut on him.

"Oh, my, GOD!" Aneeta gasped, finally finding her voice.

"Hey, I think he had the veil," Kita said, opening the door again, but only enough to stick her head out.

"Who knew she had a strong arm," Jeremy groaned, rubbing his head.

"Shieru taught me," Tiffany grinned, sticking her head over Kita's.

"It is!" Kita shouted in joy, grabbing the black fabric from Jeremy and rushing back inside.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Tiffany scoffed, yanking Aneeta's uniform and strutting back inside.

"I-I didn't mean-" She kicking the door shut behind her, cutting him off.

"He...he..!" Aneeta was sitting on the couch hyperventalating, her heart racing faster than she ever thought possible. "He saw...."

"I'll kick his butt after don't you worry," Kita reassured with a determined face.

"He saw my...."

"I know, I know," Tiffany nodded in understanding, patting her back. "And you aren't even matching."

"Tiffany!" Kita shouted in disbelief. "How can you say something like that right now?"

"Well, her bra is white, and her underwear has penguins on it," Tiffany shrugged. "It would have been nicer if he had seen her when she was matching."

"PENGUINS!" Aneeta shrieked, burying her face in a couch cushion. "Penguins! I had to wear penguins! And why did I allow myself to get pounced on and my clothes yanked away from me?" Kita rubbed Aneeta's back to allow her to freak, and gave Tiffany evil don't you dare say a word looks. The door opened again, allowing the music to flood in, and causing Aneeta to scream in alarm, jumping behind the couch.

"Whoa, she's jumpy," Kotona blinked, closing the door behind her.

"How can you blame her?" Kita sighed. "Jeremy walked in when she was changing."

"Wow," Kotona replied. "That's worse than what happened to me I guess."

"What happened to you?" Tiffany asked, folding her arms. "Did someone give you a litter box?"

"No," Kotona sighed, rolling her eyes. "Never mind for right now. Aneeta, Eliots been looking for you. We've gotta announce the winners of the contests."

"NO!" She shouted, cowering behind the couch. "I'm not going outside!"

"He just saw you half-naked," Tiffany snapped, reaching behind the couch. "Grow a backbone."

"And you wouldn't mind being seen half-naked?" Kita asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not the issue right now,"she said. "Come on Aneeta! Put on the dress and own it!"

"I'm not going!" She shouted, slapping her hand away.

"Don't make me go all Mew Mew on you and make it worse," Tiffany threatened. "I'll use my microphone and announce your arrival when I finally get you in that costume. So what's it going to be? Resist and make it worse, or give in and put the dress on?" Aneeta stared at the wall, swallowing a lump in her throat. _Oh god..._, she thought shaking her head.

"Fine," she sighed.

"Great!" Tiffany shouted, pulling her out and dragging her over to the table. Kita seated Aneeta at the table while Tiffany went browsing through her big bag, pulling out two wireless curling irons.

"Time for one of my infamous 5 minute miracles!" she announced, turning them on.

\NMM/

Eliot was furious now. None of the girls were to be found at any of the stations, and he was left bringing replacement food over to the tables. I'm docking their pay an hour, he thought to himself, bringing back an empty tray.

"Excuse me sir," a man called, pushing through the crowd. He wasn't dressed up, but wore a simple sweater, and jeans.

"Can I help you?" Eliot asked.

"I'm looking for the owner of this cafe," he said, adjusting his glasses.

"I'm one of them," he nodded.

"I'm the other," Wesley waved from the kitchen.

"Denver Cunningham," the man grinned, shaking Eliot's hand enthusiastically. "And boy do I have an opportunity for you."

"What kind of opportunity?" he asked lifting an eyebrow.

"Have you ever considered catering?" Denver asked. "I mean with your desserts, not an actual meal."

"Keep talking," Eliot said, sounding very interested, and leading him into the kitchen.

\NMM/

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" Aneeta said into the microphone Eliot had set up at the front of the Cafe. The music was turned off, and every stopped what they were doing and turned toward her. The room fell silent, and Aneeta felt her pulse quickened. I can't believe I allowed them to put this on me, she thought. She was wearing a black and red ball gown, that was very tight at the top, and very big and poofy at the bottom, reaching the floor. Her hair was thick with curl volume, with the black veil trailing down her back. The only make up she allowed Tiffany to put on her was black lipstick, and mascara, which she used to make fancy designs around her eyes. She did her best not to look too much into the crowd, cause she knew if she she saw Jeremy she'd clam up and run off stage.

"I'm going to announce the costume contest winners now," she announced, shaking away her nerves. It's alright, she told herself. You've done this before, it's just like public speaking, except its to a bunch of masked people.

"The winner of the most original costume," she began, taking out a list that Eliot had given her. "Is actually two people. The Pac Man and Ghost." People clapped and whistled, making way for a blue sheeted ghost being chanced by a yellow Pac Man.

"Now, for the best kids costume," she continued, feeling more relaxed. "Is Yugi Moto."

"YES!!" Jay shouted, extremely loud, making the crowd laugh before clapping.

"Best teenage costume is-"

"RAAAAAAA!!!!!" Deep ground shaking roar filled the room, causing Aneeta's heart to jump, and everyone in the room to look around in anxiety.

"Oh, no," Kita whispered, pulling at her skirt. "Not now." The girls tensed and looked around, ready to take on what crashed through the walls of the walls of the Cafe. Except nothing crashed through, but more like floated through the walls. A ghost that resembled a form that resembled the Grim Reaper floated through the wall, followed by four more.

"Whoa, cool effects!" Some guys shouted, making the others nod, and marvel over them..

"Those aren't part of the display are they?" Kotona asked Wesley, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"No," he replied with a concerned face, as MAL began to shout from the kitchen.

"Smells like Maken to me," Tiffany grimaced as the forms floated over the crowd. "Did you even find anymore information on them?" She turned to Eliot who was squinting his eyes, waiting for them to attack.

"Almost," he said simply, his jaw clenched.

"Those are scary," the little girl whispered, squeezing Amaya's hand. She knew they weren't friendly, so she kept herself between the girl and the Reapers.

"I wonder if-" Someone tried reaching up and grabbing them, and their hand actually touched cloth. At the contact, the Reaper roared, swinging a scythe from under its cloak. This raised panic, causing the crowd to scream and disperse. The girls spread out too, trying to find a place so they could transform. Kita and Kotona ran for the kitchen, Tiffany ran for the staff lounge, and Aneeta was about to follow when she heard her name. _Oh, no, no, no_, she cried to herself.

"Neeta!" Jay gasped, wrapping his arms around her. "Make them go away!" Makoto was barking furiously, tugging on the leash Jay had him on. _He's putting on an act,_ she thought, knowing who was right behind him.

"We have to get out of here," Jeremy shouted over the screaming. People were falling over each other, trying to get out the exit, and ducking down under tables to avoid being seen by the Reapers. All of them now had scythes, and they were swinging them at people and cutting the decorations that hung in their way.

"Ah!" The little girl screamed when one came too close. I have to transform, Amaya thought desperately. No one certainly look at her, only the floating cloaks that threatened their lives. She knew it was a gamble, but she had to take it, because one Reaper brought up its scythe and swung down at them.

"Mew Mew Icing! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!"

"Blizzard Katana!" She summoned her weapon just in time, bring it up to intercept the large crooked weapon held but thing boney hands. The little girl was staring up at her in awe as she pushed forward, knocking the deadly weapon away.

"Stay here," she told the girl, nudging her under the table. "I'll be right here, but stay under there." She nodded, and pulled the table cloth down to hide herself. Icing took a defensive stance in front of her,ready for the Reaper to attack again.

"COTTON CANDY GLOWING PUTT!" Cotton Candy bursted from the kitchen with her rod at hand, and a glowing orb floating in front of her. With a strong swing, she hit it so hard it flashed a blinding light on impact, sending it vaulting at one of the Reapers. The creature cried out in pain on impact, falling to the ground, but it was moved in its crumpled position, struggling to stand again.

"Stay down, like you're suppose to!" Licorice shouted, running out after her with a giant pain brush in her hands.

"LICORICE RIBBON PAINT BLAST!" she shouted, aiming at the grounded heap of cloth. It was covered with rainbow colors, and attacked with the force of a million wasps.

"Score!" Licorice shouted, shooting a fist up into the air.

"Time for me to take one out!" Rose chimed, sliding in next to them.

"You going to scream them out of the sky?" Licorice laughed.

"Don't hate on the Microphone," she snapped. "I...I have to think about what I'm going to do. You know, get creative."

"Make sure not to take too long cause there's four more," Cotton Candy said, readying to take aim again.

"ICING SHATTERING STAR CRASH!" A six pointed star of energy sliced through the air, shattering a second Reaper.

"Make that three," Cotton Candy corrected herself.

_How do I get away? How do I get away?_, Aneeta freaked as she, Jay, Makoto and Jeremy were trapped in the corner opposite of the Staff lounge. The Mews looked like they were okay, but every fiber in her body was telling her to fight. To stop cowering in the corner and fight! But she couldn't. She couldn't reveal herself to Jeremy. _Ah, he walked in on me_, she thought. No no! Don't think about that right now! You're in danger!

"Those are those girls from the circus," Jeremy said. "The ones that we saw at the Museum."

"No, thats Nagoya Mew Mew," Jay corrected.

"Oh, that's who Nagoya Mew Mew are," he nodded. "I think I saw a purple one on TV once." A purple one?, Aneeta thought. Oh, I hope he doesn't make a connection.

"AH!" Jay screamed when a Reaper appeared in front of them suddenly, the scythe close to his face. With a grunt, Jeremy pushed himself to his feet and tackled the Reaper. Makoto was sent into another flurry of barks as Jay jumped to his feet.

"Whoa," Aneeta gasped, eyes wide in amazement.

"Run, run!" Jeremy urged, and the three of them took off.

"Stay down, I'm going-"

"To do your thing," he grinned, sliding under a table with his dog, while she ran into the kitchen.

"Mew Mew Plum! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!"

Outside, the Reaper swung Jeremy off of him, and he hit the wall hard, knocking the wind out of him. His sight went funny after his head smacked off of the wall, and his breathing became labored. The Reaper loomed over him, casting a deathly shadow. He lifted his scythe above his head, aiming for Jeremy's neck. Jay watched in horror, begging silently for Aneeta to hurry up. He stared at the kitchen doors, waiting anxiously for her to burst through them and stab the creature. But there was no movement made by the doors as the scythe swung down, and Jay had to cover his eyes, not baring to watch, feeling Makoto nuzzle him in concern. He heard wood splinter, heard a jingle and a grunt. He opened his eyes and saw the window cover was shattered, the scythe was tied up by jingling nunchucks, and Aneeta stood on the other end of the weapon.

"Haven't you heard you shouldn't pick on someone who's defenseless," she snapped, yanking on the nunchuck to pull the weapon away, but instead he pulled on the nunchuck, causing her to be pulled toward him and nearly loose her footing. When she almost crashed into him, she swung her foot out and kicked him in the head.

"Plum!" Licorice cheered, bouncing over. "Nice hit."

"Thanks," she grinned, but worried looked back at Jeremy, who hadn't moved at all. "You think he's okay?"

"Of course," she nodded, poking her with her paint brush. "You saved his life. Now come on, let's finish this guy off."

"Alright," Plum nodded, whipping her nun chuck loose and spinning it around. Licorice held her paint brush out like a bazooka, aiming for the Reaper that was turning around ready to slice them with his scythe.

"PLUM NIGHT PIERCE!"

"LICORICE RIBBON PAINT BLAST!" They sent their attack at him simultaneously, leaving him a heap of dust that disintegrated instantly.

"COTTON CANDY GLOWING PUTT!"

"ICING SHATTERING STAR SCRASH!" The last two Reapers were taken care of easily, leaving Rose standing there with her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"No fair!" she cried, stamping her feet immaturely. "You didn't leave me one!"

"You took too long to think," Cotton Candy said, rolling her eyes at her.

"Transform back," Licorice ordered Plum, pushing her toward the kitchen. The room was left in a messy disarray. Only the little girl, Jay, Makoto and Jeremy were the only non-Mew people left. Amaya didn't bother hiding, changing back right then and there, and moved the table cloth to check on the little girl. Her light hair was all over, and her eyes were stained with tears.

"It's okay," she said calmly. "They are all gone." She took her hand and helped her to come out and stand up. _How could someone abandon their daughter?_ she asked herself. _Huh, why should I even bother wondering?_

"Where's my daddy?" she asked, whipping her eyes.

"He must be looking for you outside, hoping you got out," Amaya replied, though she was highly doubtful. "I'm sure he-"

"Gloria!" a male voice shouted, coming from the doorway.

"Daddy!" the girl shouted, pulling from Amaya, and running across the chaotic room into the arms of her dad. _Huh_, Amaya thought. _I guess he was look-_ She felt her heart stop, and she lost control of her breathing.

"Oh I'm so glad you're alright," he sighed in relief.

"She helped me," the girl said, turning to point at her. Her dad looked up with a smile, but it slowly faded._ NO!_, she shouted internally, keeping her face straight, and quickly making her way to the back of the Cafe. Her heart was working again, and it was racing a million miles an hour, and tears were threatening to spill over. _NO!,_ she shouted again. _No! No!_ She was running now, and she ran into the Staff lounge, slamming the door behind her.

"Jeremy," Aneeta whispered, shaking his shoulder lightly. "Jeremy, wake up." He groaned, and lifted a hand to his face.

"Can you sit up?" she asked, moving her dress so she could kneel.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered, pushing himself up, and leaning against the wall.

"Are you okay?" she asked uncertainly.

"Just dizzy," he sighed, giving a weak smile. "What about you?"

"I'm...in one piece," she nodded, giving a half smile. _Oh, this is horrible_, she thought. _It's becoming awkward now! Oh goodness, why did he have to walk in?_

"Look, I didn't mean to walk in on you," Jeremy said as if reading her mind. "I was just looking for you and Eliot said you were there."_ I'll kill him later_, she thought.

"Uh, it's okay," she stammered, trying to keep cool, but couldn't stop her face from getting hot. "I-I know you didn't mean to."

"I have to say to say though, I thought your underwear was cute," he snickered.

"AH!" she shouted, covering her face with her hands as her face turned even more red. He saw! He actually could see the penguins!  
"They're unique," he grinned, pulling her into a tight hug. "I've never seen bluebird underwear before."

"You've seen other girls in their underwear?" she asked an accusing tone, raising an eyebrow.

"No, uh, not on them," he stammered, his tongue tied. "I mean, like I've seen them in stores-"

"There are girl underwear models in the stores," she interrupted, giving him accusing looks.

"But how many of them wear any color but white?" he asked. "I mean, you can't help but see them since they are blown up. There are guy models in underwear too."

"True," she nodded, finding this all too amusing. "And they are penguins by the way. Not blue birds. They are blue penguins."

"Oh, even cooler," Jeremy grinned, still looking guilty. "So you forgive me?" Aneeta pretended to think it over, "hmmm"ing a lot.

"I guess I can," she shrugged. "But promise you'll knock from now on?"  
"Scout's honor," he nodded. "I've learned my lesson."

"Good," she grinned.

\NMM/

"What the hell are you doing Rinya?" Maken demanded, walking into the dim room where she was gazing down at the Earth.

"Can't I have a little fun?" she asked, not turning toward him.

"You are off duty still," he snapped.

"That doesn't mean I can't send my own pets out to have fun," she shrugged nonchalantly. "Are you going to tattle on me?"

"Dlender already knows," he huffed, staring at her with a clenched jaw. "And she told me to ask you not to send out any more Pets until asked to."

"Yessir," she replied, scratching her head. She continued to stare out the window, and he continued to stare at her from about a few more minutes, until he finally exited. A triumphant smile grew on her face, as she pulled out a folded up piece of paper.

"Let's see what Dlender has been keeping from us shall we?" she snickered, unfolding it.

\NMM/

"That broken window cover is coming out of your paycheck," Eliot said shaking his fist at Aneeta. It was only the Mews and Eliot and Wesley now, sitting around a table that didn't get broken.

"That's no fair!" she shouted. "I had to! That thing was going to kill Jeremy! And where did you guys go? You just disappeared on us!"

"We went down to make sure the computers were unharmed," Wesley replied, his make up faded away. "Someone copied our files before we got there."

"Who would do that?" Kotona asked.

"Maken of course," Tiffany said, rolling her eyes.

"My money's on Rinya," Kita yelled, slamming her fist down. "This seems like something she'd do."

"And you know them that well?" Amaya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it just seemed to simple to be Maken," she shrugged.

"Regardless, files were copied," Eliot snapped. "Files I had under several different coded passwords. Who ever crack it was really smart at using computers."

"Okay, then I don't think it's Rinya then," Aneeta sighed, taking off her veil.

"I'll figure out who it was," Wesely said reassuringly. "Don't you worry."

"And in the mean time, we gotta prepare for our first catering job," Eliot said.

"Catering?" Kotona gasped. "Really?"

"A man by the name of Denver Cunningham came in today," Eliot nodded. "He said his friend owns a car repair shop, and they are hosting a car show on Thursday. He asked us to cater it."

"But Thursday's out day off," Tiffany whined, stamping her feet under the table.

"You'll live," Eliot snapped. "So I'll have special uniforms made for that day. Uniforms that I'll have paid for by taking a little out of each of your paychecks."

"Why do you constantly take out money?" Kita shouted, slamming her fist again. "You're mean!"

"It's life," he shrugged. "If there are no other objections, I'll see you tomorrow."

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used as costumes in this chapter._

Preview of Chapter 12:

Mewl Efficiency

Kita – I've never been to a car show before! This could be exciting!

Tiffany – It's just cars. Nothing exciting about them.

Kotana – My bro's friend is a car junkie, so I hear them talking about technical stuff all the time. It's actually quite cool.

Tiffany – Don't cars run on Cow Power or something?

Kotana – It's Horse Power.

*Aneeta runs in with an envelope*

Aneeta – Hey guys! There's gonna be another new Mew!

Kita – Finally! Who? WHO?

Aneeta – I didn't look yet

*Kita snatches envelope and rips it open*

*The group looks over her shoulder and stares at the paper*

Aneeta – WHAT!?!?

Kotana – That can't be right!

Kita – ELIOT!!! Why's there a Y on here???

\NMM/

_Author's Note: lol Catch the hint? ;)_

_And as a random note you probably dont care to hear: I am the proud owner of Penguin Underwear!! ^ ^_


	12. Chapter 12: Mewl Efficient

\AN/

Yes I am making another dedication. This time to my friend ZephyrFiction. Not only just because its his birthday coming up, but also because it introduces his OC.

Happy Birthday Zyou.

Finally, I give you:

Chapter 12: Mewl Efficient

"So you guys are doing a catering job?" Ammara asked, twirling her hair between her fingers in anticipation.

"Yeah, some car repair shop is hosting a car show," Aneeta nodded, just as jumpy as she was. The whole school was gathered in the gym for their annual student verses teacher basketball game. Since Aneeta and Ammara had been on the basketball team last year in Middle School, and they were great players, they were asked to play in the game. The team was consisted of both boys and girls, just like the teacher's team would be. They were standing out in the hallway, awaiting to be announced.

"Is Jeremy going too?" Ammara asked with a playful wink.

"No, he's got a kendo tournament," she replied, tightening her ponytail. "I see him all the time, so it's no big deal. You going to go?"

"Nah, I promised Sana I'd help her clean out her basement," she said, rolling her shoulders. "Yeah, I know it doesn't sound all that exciting, but you should see the stuff her family collects."

"You guys ready to lose?" Mr. Hanari asked with a cocky grin, coming up to them with a team of teachers all behind him.

"The only thing we'll be losing is sweat," Akihito laughed, giving his friend a high five.

"You can talk, now let's see you walk," Mrs. Kishi challenged, trying to sound cool. Ammara couldn't help but snicker.

"Alright Yokota!" a voice boomed from within the gym, causing the crowd to scream in excitement. "Are you ready to see some basketball?" Ammara couldn't help but scream along with the crowd, making everyone outside give her looks.

"Sorry," she grinned.

"Let's introduce our teams this evening! I give you the students!" Aneeta, Ammara and the other students jogged through the doors, the guys receiving mock punches from one of the gym teachers, and into the gym where the noise was amplified from bouncing off the walls. They were surrounded by three walls of stands overflowing with spectators, and the stage at the far end with stray students parked there. Aneeta tried to scan the crowd for Jeremy, but there was just too many faces, and their uniforms all blended together.

"And now, the opposing team, wanting to get back for their horrible los last year," the announcer continued. "I give you the Teachers!" The crowd was a mixture of cheers and boos as the adults came through the doors, trying to imitate the student team in how they greeted their fans. Ammara snickered, as they gathered around their 'coach', a fellow student strategist known as Bollen.

"Alright guys," he said, looking over his clipboard as if he were a professional coach. "These guys are pushovers, but just because you won last year doesn't mean you're slacking off this year." He went on giving them pointers, and certain plays he wanted until the referee, who was really the janitor, blew his whistle signaling for the captains to come to the center of the court.

Watching from the stands anxiously was one student in particular. Moving to a new town was hard, but moving to a new country was even harder. You didn't know anyone at all, the customs were foreign, the language was different, and you even stuck out when you weren't trying. But seeing the familiar game about to take part reminded him of back home, proving that the two societies weren't so different after all. He was able to make out most of what the announcer was saying, but he was lost in the sea of foreign gossip that took place around him, mixed in with the whistle and warning buzzer.

"Hey there," the boy next to him greeted. He was a tiny fella, with short, thin black hair, and held a pair of perfectly round glasses that made him look like an Asian Harry Potter.

"Hi," he nodded, watching the teachers win the toss up unfairly, matching a short girl with a towering man.

"I'm Katsutoshi Muraoka," he introduced holding out his hand. "I'm in your first class."

"Partick Cunningham," he replied, shaking his hand nervously. "Sorry, but I'm not gonna remember your name."

"Call me Katsu then," he shrugged. "Most people do." The crowd erupted into screams again as the ball sunk into the net on the teacher's side.

"You think the students are going to win?" Katsu asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Doesn't really matter," Patrick shrugged. "We don't have to sit in class doing schoolwork."

"I actually like don't mind school," he said, clapping when the students sunk another basket. "Gives me something to do."

"You don't do anything else?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Well yes, but I can't always get my hands on a car," he chuckled. "My dad doesn't let me tinker on his customer's cars."

"You like working on cars?" Patrick asked, his interest caught.

"Yeah, my dad owns a garage," he nodded. "He's actually hosting a Car Show."

"Wait....," Patrick thought for a few seconds piecing things together. "You're dad owns Gawdo Auto?"

"Yeah," Katsu nodded proudly.

"My dad's friends with him," he smiled. "He's actually helping out with the car show."

"Oh, you're Denver's kid," he grinned excitedly. "Wow, can't believe I didn't think of that sooner. How many families from America move here at the same time?"

"Not many," Patrick shrugged. "But yeah, I was already going to be showing up at the Show. My dad said I'd get paid."

"Then I can show you my prized car," Katsu said. "It's so cool! I spent a good 5 months working on it."

"I look forward to seeing it." he nodded.

\NMM/

Jay sat still, his eyes unblinking. A pair of large round green eyes stared back, its eyelids remaining stationary. Makoto whined, and looked across the table from one to the other.

"Ah man!" Jay cried, rubbing his eyes when he finally blinked. "No fair! You're a robot!"

"LL!" MAL shouted triumphantly, shaking her paws in the air. Today she was dressed in a light blue dress shirt, dark blue dress pants, and had her hair in two ponytails.

"You lost again?" Wesley laughed, bringing over a tray of cookies.

"It's no fair," he complained, taking a cookie. "You should program her to have to blink after a certain amount of time."

"But her eyes don't dry out," he smiled, placing the tray on the table. "So why make her blink? She only does it because she's programmed to imitate people."

"LLL," MAL grinned, munching on a cookie.

"She should be imitating blinking habits," Jay suggested, shoving three cookies in his mouth and swallowing them in one gulp. "Also, you have to give her an actually voice. She doesn't speak."

"I'm almost done with the program I was going to use," Wesley explained, sitting down next to him. "I'm just not sure how I should make her sound, or what kind of speaking habits I should give her."

"She should meow like a cat in between sentences," Jay suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea actually," he nodded, scratching his chin in thought. "You know if you have any other suggestions for her design let me know. I have big plans for her end design, and I don't really have a lot of details picked out."

"Sure thing," Jay nodded excitedly.

"MMM," MAL chimed, pointing toward the staff lounge.

"Finally, I got these stupid things on," Aneeta growled, walking over to them as if she had something up her butt. Since this was their first catering job, Eliot thought it'd be appropriate to have different uniforms for the occasion, so he got them uniforms that consisted of a dress shirt, a girl bow tie and dress pants(all of which were in their respective color). The dress pants were too tight around the butt. And of course, these came out of their pay checks.

"You look like a penguin," Jay laughed.

"I feel like one," she huffed, making sure her fly was still done up. "Thanks again for looking after Jay, Wesley."

"It's no problem at all," he smiled sweetly. "It'll be fun babysitting."

"And dogsitting," Jay reminded, ruffling Makoto's fur.

"The van's loaded up," Kotona announced, coming into the cafe from the back door. She was wearing the uniform too, but didn't walk as funny as Aneeta. Instead of having her hair in two ponytails, she had it in one. They all did actually, because that's how Eliot wanted it. He didn't want their hair all out because he didn't want hair to get in the food.

"LL!" MAL shouted, jumping into the air.

"Take care you guys," Wesley waved. "Make sure not to cause too much trouble."

"Oh, you know us," Kita grinned sticking her head in. "We'll be on our best behavior."

"You behave Jay," Aneeta warned, kissing him on the head.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to drive Wesley insane," Jay grinned mischievously.

"No you won't," she warned, raising her eyebrow at him. "Good luck Wesley."

"Bye girls." He called as they hurried out the doors.

"I can't believe I have to be seen in this," Tiffany complained, standing next to the van. It reminded Aneeta of the Mystery Machine, except it was pink instead of green, with hearts instead of flowers, and it had two rows of seating in the front instead of one.

"It's not so bad," Kotona shrugged. "As long as it's not coming out of our pay checks too."

"Don't worry," Eliot replied, rolling his eyes from the driver's seat. "It's not."

"Who cares about this piece of junk," Tiffany spat. "I'm talking about these clothes. I look like a man!"

"Trust me, with that bust, you are far from a man," Kita mumbled, jumping into the front seat with Eliot.

"You can go with out your fashionable attire for one day," Aneeta smiled, urging her to climb in the back seat. "Where's Amaya?"

"She's going to meet us there," Eliot said, starting up the van. It didn't make any ugly sounds, so Aneeta took that as a good sign. She climbed in after Tiffany struggled to lift herself in, and Kotona slid in next to Kita. MAL flew in through the window and perched on the dashboard.

"You can't come," Eliot said, narrowing his eyes. "Stay here with Wesley."

"MMM!" she complained, flailing her arms frantically.

"Aw, come on," Kita pouted. "Let MAL come."

"We can't let people see her," he replied with authority.

"But she's the mascot of the cafe," Aneeta protested. "We have to bring her."

"Please Eliot?" Tiffany asked, fluttering her eyelashes. "People saw her at the soccer game."

"I said no," he snapped. "Stay at the cafe MAL, and I mean it."

"LL!" she shouted, sticking her tongue out at him. Stomping her foot, she flew out of the van and toward the pink building.

"That was mean," Kotona gasped. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I need her to stay at the Cafe," he replied shortly. "She's still a bit unstable, and I need her to stay close to where we can adjust her."

"Oh," Aneeta nodded, but couldn't help but feel sad for their little friend.

"How far is the car place?" Kita asked, adjusting her bow tie.

"It's on the other side of town," Eliot replied. "I just hope the food doesn't jostle around back there.

"Did you stack them properly?" Aneeta asked, looking over her shoulder at the boxes of desserts piled up in the back.

"I don't think they'll move," Kotona said, scratching her head. "I think we did a good job."

"We'll see in a second," Eliot sighed, turning out of the driveway and onto the road. The van shook unexpectedly more than they thought, and all eyes flashed to the back of the van. The boxes remained where they were.

"That's a relief," he sighed.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" Kita screeched, covering her eyes when the van drove too close to a parked car.

"I know how to drive," he snapped, veering away. "I've had my license for quite a few years now."

"How old _are_ you?" Tiffany asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Isn't that an impolite question to ask?" Eliot countered.

"Only when it's to a girl," she smirked. "So how old are ya?"

"I'm 20," he replied with no hesitation. The girls fell silent and stared at him wide eyed. "What?" He made a face back at them.

"Y-you don't look 20," Kita snorted. "You look Aneeta's age."

"That's a bit insulting," he sighed, narrowing his eyes.

"It's not our fault your genetics are slow in the aging process," Aneeta giggled. "You know that's the first thing we've learned about you. We hardly know anything about you and Wesley."

"I know Wesley's the III," Kita grinned.

"Tell us some other stuff about you," Kotona pressed, finally doing up her seat belt, and urging Kita to do hers.

"20 Questions!" Tiffany giggled, leaning forward in between Eliot and Kita. "Alright, so let's start off easy. Question number 1. Where were you born?"

"Philadelphia."

"Really?" Aneeta gasped. "You're American?"

"My parents moved to America before I was born," he explained. "I was raised there, and moved to Tokyo with Wesley when I was 12. So I'm still technically Japanese."

"Why don't you live with your parents?" Kita asked. "Question number 2."

"That I will not answer," he said in rather a harsh tone.

"But those are the rules," Tiffany glared. "You have to answer every question."

"If he doesn't want to answer don't make him," Aneeta said, pushing Tiffany to sit back. "Question number 3. How'd you meet Wesley?"

"He worked for my dad," he replied, making a smooth turn. "Next question."

"How old is Wesley? Question number 4," Kotona added quickly.

"He's 21."

"He looks his age," Kita snickered. "Question number 5. Why a cafe as a cover up?"

"Wesley loves to bake," he shrugged. "So why not a cafe?"

"Hey, we're asking the questions," Tiffany warned, poking him with a brush she pulled out of no where. "Question number 6. Does Wesley have a girlfriend he can cook for?"

"You already have a boyfriend," Kotona snapped. "Be happy with what you have."

"I am, I am, sheesh," Tiffany snapped back, flipping her hair.

"No, he doesn't have a girlfriend sadly," Eliot replied, taking another turn, but it was a bit shakier than he expected. "He deserves one though."

"You have one?" Kita grinned, poking him. "Question number 7." He was a bit hesitant, but his face had a smirk.

"Yes."

"What's her name?  
"How long you guys been going out?"

"How old is she?"

"Where'd you meet her?"

"Well that's questions 8, 9, 10 and 11," he laughed after being bombard with questions.

"Then answer them!" Tiffany ordered impatiently. "Give us details."

"Aren't you guys getting a bit person?"

"You know stuff about us, so we deserve to know stuff about you," Kita huffed. "Now spill."

"Well, her name is Zoey," he replied. "She's 20 as well. We met in a park in Tokyo about 4 years ago, and we've been dating for 3."

"That's so cute," Aneeta grinned. "Who knew someone would date a guy like you."

"She asks herself the same question sometimes," he chuckled to himself. "Well, we're here." He pulled the van up a driveway, and parked outside of a large car shop.

"We have 9 questions to go," Kita pouted.

"We'll finish later," Kotona grinned, hopping out of the van.

"Great," Eliot mumbled, turning off the ignition.

What they didn't know was that as soon as MAL left the van, she put a tracker on it. She ed until they arrived at the shop first before heading out after them. She wasn't going to let Eliot ruin her fun.

\NMM/

With music filling every inch of the apartment, and regardless of her sore limbs, Amaya glided across the small living room an into the kitchen, where she opened the fridge to survey its contents. _Gotta go grocery shopping soon_, she thought, removing the carton of milk. She pulled a box of cereal from the shelf, and a bowl from the cupboard and sat down, pouring the food into the bowl. _Forgot your spoon_, a distant voice echoed in her head. Amaya shook her head, clearing it away, but she realized she did forget it.

Taking a deep breath, she stood up to find one. Instead of returning to her awaiting bowl, she stared at her stretched reflexion on the spoon she removed from the drawer. Her hair was frizzy from working in the heat for so long. _Perhaps I'll braid it for the car show_, she thought, putting the spoon down and neglecting her untouched cereal, she went to her room to get ready. The new uniform was laid out on her bed already, looking freshly pressed. She sat down on the floor, in front of the floor mirror she owned, and began brushing through her thick hair.

Thick brown hair, chocolate brown eyes. You would've never known she was her mother's daughter. She looked too much like _him_. Images flashed of Halloween night in her head, and she jolted in shock. _No, no, no_, she thought, leaning forward to burry her face in her lap._ No, it couldn't be him. It just couldn't._ She hadn't seen him in 7 years, but he still looked the same as he had in her memories. Memories she tried so hard to bury._ Just focus on getting ready_, she thought to herself, taking a few deep breathes, trying to settle her shaking.

Within half an hour her hair was braided, she was fully dressed, and her appetite was somewhat satisfied. Grabbing her car keys from the dresser, she paused to look at the photo that stood idly on it. She kissed her finger and then pressed it to the frame. _Miss you_, she thought before exiting her apartment.

\NMM/

The cars were not actually inside the shop, but out in the back, and lined up in rows for display. The cars ranged from ancient classics to futuristic designs. Decorations were few, but Patrick's dad said it was the cars that would attract people, along with the delicious desserts they were having. He wasn't sure how desserts were going to attract people, but hey, it wasn't him that was running the function. He was only here to help out, and check out Katsu's car. Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, he made his way down one of the isles, looking at all the different models, and was amazed how the designs changed over the years.

"Hey Patrick!" Katsu called from the end of the isle. "This is mine right here." He couldn't see the car he was motioning to at first, because it was blocked by a giant truck on huge wheels, but he he noticed it when he got closer.

"Isn't it a beauty?" Katsu grinned, putting his fists on his hips proudly.

"It certainly is cool," Patrick nodded. He didn't know much about car models by dates and stuff, but he could tell it was Chevy. A Chevelle from the looks of it. He wasn't good at remembering specifics about cars, all he knew was how to fix them.

"It's a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS," he explained. "I found it in a junkyard. The guy said he didn't know where it came from, but I could take it. My dad brought it here, and I've been working on it ever since. Had to find all the right parts, mend its frame, and give it a new paint job." The car was deep red, with blue stripped decals on the side, probably added for fun by Katsu.

"Don't just stand there boys," Denver hollered from inside. "The caterer has arrived. Come and help unload their truck."

"You really don't need to worry about it Mr. Cunningham," A blonde boy said, coming up next to him. "My staff has it covered."

"But they are all young ladies," Denver objected. "It's alright. My boy is being paid to help out. Son, get going."

"Yes dad," he mumbled, heading around the building.

"I'll go see if my dad needs help," Katsu called after him.

"Careful Kita," Aneeta gasped when the little girl attempted to carry 5 boxes of cupcakes.

"I've got it," she grunted, wobbling in the direction of the building.

"Wesley spent hours this morning making those," Kotona warned. "He'll be upset if you drop them."

"I said I'm fi-" Her foot got hooked on a stray cord, and her body went falling forward. To save herself, Kita let go of the boxes, and put her hands out to soften her fall.

"I ruined the cupcakes!" Kita cried as soon as she lifted her face from the pavement. She looked up, expecting to see the boxes and its contents sprawled all along the driveway, but instead saw a pair of large running shoes a few inches from her face.

"Y-You okay?" the owner of the shoes asked.

"Uh, a few scrapes, but I think I'm fine," she stammered, jumping to her feet. She had to strain her neck upwards to see over the boxes at the person's face, and gasped when she realized how tall he was. He was almost 2 feet taller than she was. He had curly, light brown hair and light green that weren't Asian.

"That was an amazing catch!" Tiffany gasped, going gaga over him. She quickly hurried over to him to give him an awkward hug. "You're so cute. Where have you been all my life?"

"Uh..." This made him very uncomfortable, and he nearly dropped the cupcakes when Kotona ran over, prying her off of him with Kita's help.

"You have a boyfriend!" she shouted in disbelief. "How can you be looking at another guy?"

"We're not really dating," Tiffany sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's not official or anything. We just see each other a lot."

"Still!" She shrieked. "How can you be like this? How can you play with hearts? Are guys just things to you?"

"I will not dignify that with an answer," she replied simply, shrugging. Kotona clenched her jaw in anger, squeezed her fists tightly.

"You..." she growled, shaking with anger. "You bitch!" A silence so still a knife could slice through it shocked the group. The person who was most surprised by her outburst was Kotona herself. She'd never swore in her life, and rarely ever lost her temper. Tiffany didn't seemed at all effected by it, which only made Kotona even angrier. With a distressed huff, Kotona grabbed a couple boxes with cakes in them and marched around the building.

"Um...," the boy finally spoke, looking really awkward.

"Sorry about that," Aneeta said, relieving him of a couple boxes. "We usually don't have this much drama."

"That's usually what happens when you hang with a Stick," Kita whispered.

"O-okay...," he mumbled, letting the little girl take the other boxes.

"You can grab those pie containers if you want," Aneeta suggested. "Hey, you're that new kid in 2nd year right?"

"Y-yeah," he nodded. "Patrick Cunningham."

"Nice to meet you," Tiffany grinned, fluttering her eye lashes at him. "I'm Tiffany Lachwood."

"Take these," Kita ordered, dropping the boxes of cupcakes in her hands. "Go take those inside like a good girl." Tiffany made a face at her before strutting away. "You'll have to excuse her. She's a major flirt."

"I-I see that," Patrick said, piling pie containers in his arms.

"I'm Kita by the way," she grinned, grabbing packages of napkins and plates. "The girl who had that outburst is Kotona, and that's Aneeta."

"We can be an odd bunch," Aneeta giggled lightly.

"So you're not from here are yeah?" Kita asked, with a bright smile.

"No," he replied shaking his head. "I'm from Connecticut. That's in the States."

"That's cool. I hope you've liked it here so far."

"It's a bit of a rough switch in lifestyle," he shrugged, following them inside. "But I'm adjusting."

\NMM/

The car show was in full swing by the time Amaya arrived. She had to park down the street and walk back. _As if I'm not tired enough_, she thought, adjusting her braid. People were scattered down the isles of cars, as well as clustered around a group of five tables covered with desserts. _That's where I go_, she thought, walking over to the chaos.

"I didn't see your ticket m-miss," someone said from beside her. "I can't let you go any farther without a ticket."

"I'm with the cafe," she replied looking up at him, and boy did she regret it. Their eyes locked, and she felt she wouldn't be able to tear them away. Her pulse involuntarily picked up, and her breath got caught in her chest. _Not again_..., she managed to think among the haze that settle upon her mind.

"There you are Amaya!" Kita called excitedly running over to her. Amaya was now able to pull her eyes from the boy's and look down at the jumpy girl.

"That's Patrick." she grinned, pointing at the boy that stood beside her. "He saved Wesley's cupcakes from being smooshed." Amaya only nodded lightly.

"Excuse me," she said barely above a whisper before hurrying off to the dessert table. _Not again_, she told herself. _I will not allow it to happen again._

"She's really distant," Kita told Patrick. "No worries. She barely looked at us either when we first met."

"Oh...," he replied in a soft voice, a slight blush on his face.

"I don't know why she's so uptight," Tiffany sighed, filing her nails.

"Maybe because she's protective of her brother," Aneeta suggested, handing a customer a slice of apple pie.

"He's a grown man," she scoffed. "He doesn't need his _younger_ sister to protect."

"Well she wants to try at least," Aneeta said, putting her hands on her hips. "She's seen him hurt, and doesn't want to see him go through it again, so she's just peeved that you did all that flirting and pursuing to get him just to go throw it to the wind when someone knew comes along."

"I can't help it," Tiffany huffed, throwing her hands in the air. "It's not my fault so many guys catch my eye. Can you really blame me?"

"Yes," she replied bluntly. "Just be careful what you do. Kotona really loves her brother, and since she knows you, she'll probably do more than throw the b-word at you."

"B-word," Tiffany snorted. "You called it the B-word?"

"So," Aneeta shrugged. "What's wrong with that?"

"Have you never said it before?" she asked, getting up in her face. "Are you one of those goodie girls who doesn't swear?"

"My vocabulary is far to large to be using words such as those," Aneeta said, pulling at her ponytail.

"Goodie goodie," Tiffany snickered. "I don't care that Kotona called me a bitch. It's not the first time I've been called it, and it probably won't be the last."

"No fowl language on the job," Eliot shouted, causing them to jump.

"I've bet you used your fair share," Tiffany said, rolling her eyes.

"Not on the job no," he snapped. "Say it again, and I'll dock your pay." Tiffany made a face and a bad imitation of him before wandering away.

"I hate her," Kotona growled, coming out of no where. "Thanks for siding with me."

"No problem," Aneeta smiled. "Great, here comes another wave. Get the plates ready please." Kotona silently reached under the table to retrieve the package, but it was no longer there.

"There's no more left," she informed. "I'll go get some from the van."

"Alright, be careful," Aneeta nodded. Kotona hurried to the van still parked out in the front, not wanting to be alone for too long. She didn't like being alone lately and dreaded those long hours studying in her room. Being with the girls at the cafe was the best part of her day. She didn't like fighting with Tiffany though, but she was able to express emotion. Being part of the Mews has allowed her to express herself more, and not just sit by, do what she's told and let what happens happen. Becoming a Mew made her more alive.

"AAA!" MAL called from above the van.

"MAL!" Kotona gasped. "What are you doing here? Eliot told you not to come!"

"AA!" she screamed, pointing toward the van.

"Yeah, I gotta get more plates," she nodded, moving toward it. MAL grabbed onto her ponytail and yanked her back.

"OW!" Kotona gasped in surprise. "What was that for?"

"AA! AA! AAAAAA!!" she shouted, flailing her paws frantically.

"What are you saying?" Kotona sighed in frustration. "Man, I wish Eliot would give you a voice." MAL gave her a worried look, and turned her head toward the van.

"A!" she said, pointing at the idle vehicle. Kotona took a minute, trying to put the pieces together. As she did, a tiny cockroach Pet crawled around inside the hood of the van, combining itself to its wiring.

"Is there something wrong with the van?" Kotona guessed. MAL nodded her head in agreement.

"A!" she shouted again.

"But what does 'A' mean?" she sighed in frustration. "The last time I think you used that was when we were attacked-"

"MM! AA!" MAL shouted, nodding her head furiously. "AA!" Kotona's eyes widened in realization.

"That means-!" She was cut off by the sound of metal grinding on metal, and slamming against the pavement. Before her eyes the van tranformed into a giant robot.

"Oh, crap," Kotona gasped, her mouth dropping in shock. She was afraid to move too fast, so she hesitantly reached for her pendent.

"What the hell is that?" Patrick shouted form behind her. _Oh no_, she panicked silently._ I can't transform when he's here..._

"MM!" MAL gasped, looking at Patrick. She flew over to him, but he didn't notice. He was transfixed on what the robot did next. Its arm transformed into a cannon, and it fired a shot over the building. There was a giant explosion followed by a chorus of heart retching screams. _Oh my God,_ Kotona panicked, fear pulling at her chest._ It's involving citizens intentionally. It probably just killed someone! Holy crap!_

While Kotona was frozen in shock, a million things were running through Patrick's head._ Is this an uprising?_, he asked himself. T_he creation destroying the creator? Or maybe the Decepticons made it to Earth first. Yeah, that's probably it. Or maybe it's a terrorist attack?_

"MM!" A high pitched squeal rang in his ear, causing him to jump.

"What the-?" He stared up at a floating doll that wore the same clothing as the other caterers.

"MMM!" she grinned, holding out her paws in front of her, conjuring up a ball of silver light. Patrick stared in amazement as the little creature created a gold pendent with a pink heart on it.

"LL!" she chimed, holding it to him.

"I-I don't want that," he stammered, giving her a look. "That seems a bit too girl for me doesn't it?" Frustrated, the doll threw it at him, hitting him square in the forehead.

"OW!" he shouted, letting it fall to the ground. "Hey, what's the big ide-"

"AH!" Kotona screamed. Patrick whipped his head in her direction to see her just miss the robot's swinging hand.

"MM!" the doll shouted, kicking him in the back of the head. "M! A! MAL!"

"Stop it already," he pleaded, rubbing his head. "What am I suppose to do with it anyways?"

"Mew Mew Cotton Candy! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!" A blinding light pink light filled his line of vision, but the voice sounded like Kotona's.

"LL!" the little doll cried, motioning toward the center of the light. It faded slowly, and where Kotona once was, one of the members of Nagoya Mew Mew stood. He blinked slowly, and took a few seconds to put the pieces together.

"You want me to do THAT?" he asked, looking highly doubtful. The doll nodded her head furiously.

"But how?" he huffed, scratching his head. The doll was loosing her patience with him, and he braced himself for another act of violence, but she simply pointed at the pendent that lay on the ground.

"Get back!" Kotona shouted, whacking the robot with a weird looking stick.

"So what am I suppose to say?" he asked, picking up the pendent.

"MM," the doll replied, motioning to her chest. The sound of bullets being rapidly fired filled the air, scaring Patrick half to death. The robot had opened fired machine guns at Kotona, who was effortlessly dodging them.

"Why are there guns in a van?" Patrick gasped, hiding behind a bunch of bushes.

"LL!" MAL growled, puling up her sleeve threateningly.

"Alright, alright," he said, holding on tightly to the pendent.

"Mew Mew Avious! MEWTAMORPHOSIS!"

...

"....Nothing's happening...," Patrick lifted an eyebrow at the doll. She rolled her eyes, and cupped her paws together as if she were holding something, and kissed it. _Great...._, he thought, looking around to make sure no one could see him.

He gave the pendant a quick, awkward kiss and was instantly bathed in silver light, his clothes melting away. He was no longer crouched behind bushes, but free falling from the sky. He was heading straight for the city below, and there was nothing that could slow him down. A dark cloud suddenly appeared a few dozen feet below him, but it was far too brown to be a normal cloud. It ended up being a bunch of feathers, and they scratched as his body as he fell through them. The scratches glowed, and stretched over his body creating a silvery-white jumpsuit, similar to a mechanics, with burgundy stripes down the sides, along with a pair of silver steel-toed boots, with burgundy laces. He suddenly felt himself come into contact with the source of the feathers, a giant red-tailed hawk. It squawked on impact, and took a sudden dive, then jerked from side to side until Patrick lost his grip. The bird spun, and its wing brushed against his face, lightening his hair to burgundy, and fading his eyes to grey. It wasn't until he was scary close to the city that he realized the extra pair of limbs he had grown. Taking control of them, he used the wings to slow himself down, and lift himself up, landing on the very tip of the towering building. His pendant appeared on a burgundy, fluffless chocker, and took his final pose with his arms crossed.

\NMM/

"Make sure no one was hurt," Eliot ordered Licorice and Rose. The two of them nodded, and took off to the panicked people.

"It came from the front," Plum said, taking to the sky, while Icing, jumped up onto the roof. She didn't even reach the top when she caught sight of the robot.

"Holy crap!" Icing gasped. "It's the van!"

"What about it?" Eliot shouted up to her.

"The van has gone rogue," Plum shouted back before zooming over the building. There was a flash of pink when the robot was struck by Cotton Candy's attack. It stumbled a couple steps back, but looked as if it wasn't phased by the attack. Icing summoned her katana, and jumped off the building, landing on the ground with poise.

"ICING SHAT-" Before she could even attempt to attack, the robot turned its guns on her. She dropped to the ground, and rolled to the side, a trail of bullets bouncing off the pavement that she had just been on.

"Jingle-chuck!" Plum whipped her nun-chuck around and swung it at the robot, hitting it in the back of the head. It shook its head in annoyance and brought out its cannon again. Icing, barely got back onto her feet again when she was knocked to the side, and landed about 20 feet away from where she had been. A loud explosion filled her ears and something heavy landed on top of her.

"A-are you o-okay?" a familiar voice stammered above her. She opened her eyes, and was surprised to see a boy with Mew-like qualities staring down at her.

"P-Patrick?" she asked, not sure if she got the name right. Her head spun not only in the Mew confusion, but also because of how close their faces where.

"There's a boy Mew?" Licorice gasped, popping out of no where. "No way!"

"MM!" MAL cheered, appearing over her shoulder.

"You can get off of her now," Licorice giggled. Blushing, Patrick scrambled to his feet, and Icing calmly stood up, picking her sword back up. MAL snickered behind Licorice.

"So what's your Mew name?" she asked.

"Um...A-Avious I guess," he shrugged, scratching his head uncertainly.

"Well time for you initiation," she grinned widely. "You have to take out that robot!"

"B-by myself?" he shouted in disbelief. "I-I can't do that!"

"You just have to summon a weapon," Licorice explained.

"ROSE AMPLIFIED SOUND SHOCK!" A pair of fluffy pink headphones appeared on their heads just in time to block out an eerie screech that was sent through the air. The robot jolted, a few sparks flying from its limbs, but it stood firm, changing its arm into a sword, and bringing it down on Cotton Candy. She brought her rod up in time to intercept it.

"Stop standing around!" Plum shouted down at them, after the headphones disappeared again. "We gotta stop it!"

"Maybe we could cut some wires!" Licorice suggested. "Like under the front of the car."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Avious nodded, coming up with an idea. "You guys think you can pop open the hood? It's his chest."

"Of course we can," Icing replied, dashing at the robot without hesitation. The robot pointed its canon at her and she waited until it fired before she jumped, stepped down on the missile for more leverage, and pushed herself up higher, before it exploded on the pavement below.

"She's amazing," Avious gasped, watching her take the robot by surprise.

"Of course she is," Licorice grinned. Icing drove her katana into its chest and flung herself over its shoulder, bending the sword so it popped the hood off, revealing the engine and other essential parts. With the robot distracted, Cotton Candy managed to push forward and release herself from the struggle.

"Tornado Chakrams!" Avious held out his hands, and a pair of reddish-brown chakrams with silver blades appeared. Grabbing hold of them, he pushed off into the air.

"LICORICE RIBBON PAINT BLAST!" Licorice pointed her paint brush at the robot, bathing him in a rainbow blast as a distraction. Just as he planned, the robot turned its arms into guns again, and held them in two different directions.

"AVIOUS...!" A strong wind surrounded him, filling him with power. "HURICANE...!" He let his chakrams go, but the wind held them in place, spinning them rapidly. "...STRIKE!" He flung his hands out, sending the chakrams whirling at the robot's exposed chest. They cut through its tubing, and wiring, and more importantly, they sliced the cockroach in half. The robot folded in on itself, returning to its former state, but the damage was obvious. It was beaten and dented, and one of the doors fell off.

"Holy crap," Rose groaned, falling to her knees. "I can't believe how much damage it caused. The driveway leading up to the car shop was completely destroyed, the open lot where the cars were had a crater in it, with several damaged cars toppled over, and filled with panicked citizens.

"The police will be here any minute," Eliot said, hurrying over to them. "Power down, and sneak into the back, and make it look like you were there when the missile hit."

"We don't really need pretend," Kotona groaned. She was back to normal, but held many scratches, and her face was smeared with grease.

"We have a new Mew," Kita smiled, pointing at Patrick. "But why is it a boy?"

"We'll discuss it later," he said urgently. "Now get going."

\NMM/

It was about 8:00 when they were finally able to leave. The police interviewed every single person, and had to interrogate Eliot extensively because he was the owner of the van that caused the damage. Quite a few people were injured, but no one was killed. The damage done to the cars must've been ridiculously large, and Kotona wondered who would pay for it all. Or the car shop for that matter. The building was only mildly damaged, a broken window or two, but it was the driveway that was demolished. The girls sat in a line on the curb beside the road, waiting for their boss to be released.

"MM," MAL cooed, rubbing against Kotona's arm.

"It's okay," she smiled sweetly. "I'm alright."

"I thought they used those things they call Pets," Tiffany huffed, shaking her hair form her ponytail.

"He used dead people before," Aneeta reminded. "Maybe Maken learned to control electronics."

"There was a bug." The girls looked up and saw Patrick standing there with his hands deep in his pockets. "There was a weird looking bug under the hood. The chakrams chopped it in half."

"How would you know?" Kita asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I took it before the police saw it," he replied, holding out two halves of the creature out in front of him.

"EW!" Tiffany shrieked, jumping from the sidewalk. "Keep that thing away!"

"Maybe we can take that back to the cafe and let Wesley have a look at it," Amaya suggested, staring blankly ahead.

"That's exactly what we're going to do with it." Eliot came up to them, a small bag open in his hand. "Put it in." Patrick didn't hesitate to hand it over.

"So what's going on?" Aneeta asked, getting to her feet.

"We aren't being suspected of anything if that's what you're worried about," he replied bluntly, tieing the bag. "All the police know is that another inexplainable attack has occurred and Nagoya Mew Mew took care of it."

"They're taking Ginger though aren't they," Kita pouted.

"Ginger?" Tiffany asked, raising an eyebrow. "You named the van?"

"Of course," she sighed. " I can't believe they're taking her away."

"It's just until the police are done with the investigation," Aneeta smiled, patting her shoulder. "Then when we get it back, perhaps Patrick can fix her back up."

"Uh-well," he stammered staring down at the ground.

"So what's up with the male Mew?" Kotona asked. "Aren't all Mews girls?"

"So far they have," Eliot nodded, "but I guess there can be exceptions."

"Does that mean he gets to wear the dress uniform?" Kita gasped, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Uh, what?" Patrick asked, staring at them in fear.

"I'll have Wesley get him something, thought it would be amusing to see him in a dress," he snickered.

"Now we have 6 mews!" Kita cheered. "How many more do we have to find?"

"Half way there," Eliot replied quietly, taking off down the street.

"H-hey!" Tiffany called after him. "How are we suppose to get home?"

"You can walk can't you?" he shouted back, not turning around. "Come on MAL." The little mew was hesitant, but she flew off after her creator.

"I'll walk you home," Aneeta said to Kita. "I've done it many times over."

"I'll come with you," Kotona smiled.

"I wanna go see Shieru, so I guess I-"

"You will _not_!" Kotona snapped. Her fists shook in anger.

"I'll give you a ride," Amaya said, placing a hand on Tiffany's shoulder.

"You have a car?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow in curiosity.

"It's just down the street," she nodded. "Night everyone." The two older mews made their way down the street with small waves as parting gestures.

"How are you getting home?" Aneeta asked, turning her attention to Patrick.

"My dad'll give me a ride," he answered. "I'll be fine."

"Take care," Kita grinned, giving him a salute. "Tomorrow you start your new job."

"J-job?" he stuttered, blinking a few times.

"Of course, you are now a part of the Cafe Mew Chi Lou staff," Kotona nodded excitedly. "That's what the uniform was for."

"But I just started the job at the car shop," he huffed. "How can I handle two?"

"Well, I don't think the shop will open until repairs are made," Aneeta shrugged. "Besides, you get a schedule that works around you."

"We better get going before my parents get worried," Kita spoke up, nudging Aneeta and Kotona down the street. "See ya later Patrick!" The boy mew gave them a small wave before crossing the street.

\NMM/

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, or Harry Potter

Preview of Chapter 13:

(Currently Untitled)

*Girls fold arms and stare at Patrick*

Patrick - P-Please stop that....

Kita - This has been an all girl room so far.

Tiffany - Who cares!

*Tiffany tries to hug Patrick, but Kotona and Kita hold her back*

Aneeta - I wonder if there will be any more boy Mews.

Kotona - Eliot did say we were half way there.

Kita - Why would he need so many Mews anyways?

Tiffany - Maybe there's something he's not telling us?

Kita - Let's go interrogate him!

*Girls run out of room, leaving Patrick to sit there uncomfortably*

*Amaya walks in*

Amaya - Where are the others?

Patrick - Th-they went to find Eliot.

*Amaya leaves without glancing at him*

Patrick - ...She hates me....

\AN/

I got the basketball idea from my school's traditional annual basketball game. :)

It was hard writing Patrick's transformation, because it had to be non-feminine.

Hope you liked it. Please R&R.

Also, I'll be adding a picture of the 6 mews on my dA account. There will be a specific link soon, but you can get to it via my Homepage at the top of the screen. Hope you check it out.


	13. Chapter 13: Nearly Mewsopsed

_\AN/_

_I forgot to mention at the end of the last chapter that yes, I did pair up Eliot and Zoey, cause I'm a die-hard RxI fan! XD_

_Also, there wont be anymore Mews until the second arc, and chapter 18 is the start of Arc 2. I hope you all can be patient enough until then. ^-^ And when Arc 2 happens, they'll come pouring in._

_I also want to thank Chiharu sooo much for editing this for me. Love you Chewy! XD_

Chapter 13:

Nearly Mewsposed

"But this is a girls room," Kita complained. The Mews were gathered in the staff's lounge along with Eliot and Wesley. The girls were trying to defend their space, Patrick stood to the side not wanting to get in the way, and Amaya sat on the couch watching TV.

"It's called the _staff _lounge," Eliot emphasized, folding his arms over his chest.

"But how can we change when he's here?" Kotona sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"You can work out a system," Wesley suggested with an optimistic smile.

"But don't you guys have your own personal change room?" Aneeta asked. "He can change in there. Besides, we don't have a urinal in our bathroom."

"We'll have some installed then." Eliot shrugged.

"EW!" the girls shrieked in unison.

"Eliot, how long are you going to keep this up," Wesley snorted.

"Keep what up?" Kita demanded, her mouth hanging in disbelief.

"Wesley, I had 3 more minutes of material left," Eliot chuckled.

"So he's not going to be in here?" Kotona asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, he'll be using ours." Wesley smiled.

"Yes!" Kita and Kotona cheered, dancing in a circle.

"That's too bad," Tiffany sighed. "I wouldn't mind watching him get changed." Patrick's face went beet red when she winked at him.

"Quit that," Aneeta warned in a hushed voice. Tiffany stuck her tongue out immaturely as Eliot headed toward the door. Wesley and Patrick were close behind him.

"We'll be opening in 20 minutes," he said over his shoulder. "Make sure you're ready by then."

"Eliot is such a brute," Kita huffed, opening her locker. "Getting us all worked up over that."

"Maybe he likes torturing us." Kotona shrugged, taking her hair down and letting it fall out of the ponytails they were once in.

"Check this out guys," Amaya called, turning the volume up on the television.

"..._The attack happened yesterday afternoon at a local car show. The robot in question was the van of the owner of the popular cafe Mew Chi Lou, Eliot Grant. Investigators were left stunned by how the car was able to transform, and Grant stated he had no idea that it was able to do it. He had bought it from a local car dealer, and the investigation will continue farther from there..."_

"I wonder if the cockroach showed anything," Amaya muttered, turning the volume down again.

"He would've told us if he did right?" Kotona wondered, slipping off her skirt.

"I hope he would," Aneeta sighed, slipping into her cafe uniform.

"It's Amaya!" Kita gasped, pointing toward the TV again. The TV was showing a slow motion of Mew Icing's attack on the robots chest, popping it out.

"How'd they get that footage?" Tiffany gasped, leaning over the couch to look closer. The camera zoomed up closer on her face, but the image was blurry.

"..._Images of this footage as well as previous ones are being analyzed for facial recognition. Officials want to find out the true identities of Nagoya Mew Mew so they can bring them in for questioning, and find out their part in this ordeal..."_

...

The girls quickly shoved on their missing pieces of clothing and dashed out of the room.

\NMM/

"Cafe Mew Chi Lou." He smiled, adjusting his glasses. "Oh how I've waited to expose you." He stood outside the cafe with a camcorder in his hand. He contemplated whether or not to stir their peace, but from the sounds of it, it sounded as if they were already stressed.

"And what ever for?" he thought out loud as he made his way over to a window and turned on his camera.

\NMM/

"ELIOT!" the girls screamed in unison, bursting into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Wesley asked, topping off a cake with special icing.

"They're running face reignition anals on us!" Tiffany shrieked.

"Recognitions Analysis," Kita corrected, rolling her eyes. "Their running a facial _recognition analysis_ on us."

"That's what I said," she snapped.

"Their zooming up on our faces from the footage and scanning them," Aneeta explained in further detail.

"You needn't worry about that," Wesley smiled. "I already hacked into their servers and messed with the video feed. They'll never be able to get a proper analysis."

"Really?" Kotona sighed in relief.

"Eliot already thought about them attempting one." He nodded. "We're always one step ahead."

"Good going Wesley!" Tiffany grinned. "You come through again."

"No thanks for me?" Eliot asked, sounding offend as he entered the room.

"No," the girls replied in unison.

"This tie is chocking me," Patrick gagged, following close behind.

"Nice threads." Kita smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

"Th-thanks," he stuttered as he scratched his head and stared down at the floor. His uniform consisted of a plain white dress shirt, a silver vest with burgundy stripes, and a burgundy tie. His pants were silver too, his apron was white and only covered his thighs and his shoes were black—similar to the ones the girls wore with silver shoelaces.

"Alright, stop standing around," Eliot ordered. "The store will be opening soon."

"Hey...what's that?" Kotona asked, pointing toward the back window. Their heads all spun in unison, but when they looked no one said anything. Well, all but one.

"Stop him!" Eliot shouted, bursting out the kitchen.

"Go round back!" Wesley ordered. "Make sure he doesn't get away!" Amaya had already taken off before Wesley had finished his sentence. The others followed her without question. They ran out the back door and around the building to see Eliot in close pursuit of someone in a pair of rollerblades with a camcorder in his hands.

"He was filming us!" Tiffany gasped. The guy was in a hoodie that hid his face as he sped away, pulling a great lead on Eliot. With a frustrated shout, Eliot slowed down to a stop, allowing him to get away.

"He got away!" Kita shouted. "He got away with footage of us! He was filming our conversations!"

"Perhaps it was him who handed the media the film of the robot," Amaya sighed, not bothering to chase after him either.

"You think he'll turn in that film?" Kotona asked worriedly.

"Probably," Aneeta sighed.

"What if he filmed us while we were changing?" Tiffany shrieked. "That perv!"

"There's no windows in the lounge," Kita said, rolling her eyes at her.

"What do we do?" Kotona asked, looking at Eliot... Worried when he walked up to her and the others.

"There's not much I can do," he sighed, scratching his head. "I can see if the cafe cameras got a look at him, but even if they did, he was wearing a ski mask."

"What can _we_ do?" Amaya asked, folding her arms.

"You can keep an eye for anyone suspicious that might come into the cafe from now on." He nodded. "He'll probably show up again in plain sight."

"So now not only are we on alien lookout, but stalker lookout too." Aneeta nodded. "I'm down."

"I don't need this," Eliot grumbled to himself, heading back inside without another glance at them.

"He's distracted," Patrick thought aloud.

"He hasn't told us a lot of what we're dealing with." Kita nodded. "He's keeping it all to himself. We should interrogate him. This time more than 20 questions, and we're not gonna let him skip any."

"We'll think about it later," Amaya said. "Right now we gotta focus on the problem at hand. He'll tell us when he's ready."

\NMM/

"You've _still _found nothing?" Dlender growled in exasperation. "How can you still show up empty handedly?"

"I'm sorry," Maken replied, lowering his head. "It seems it has been hidden better than we anticipated."

"I don't want excuses!" she shouted, angrily throwing her hand out in rage and zapping the wall just above his head.

"D-Dlender please," he pleaded. "Please save your strength."

"You are in no place to be telling me what to do," she snarled. "I want it! And I want it now!"

"You're doing it all wrong." Rinya waltzed into the room uninvitedly, earning scolding glances from both Maken and Dlender.

"You were not called to this audience," Maken spat.

"I know, but I thought it'd be only _my_ sworn duty to help out Mistress Dlender," she replied, bowing. "I must first apologize for looking through your belongings. It was there I discovered the truth behind its meaning." Dlender looked as if she couldn't decide whether to be furious or to be pleased. Rinya was a complex individual, and she seemed to always be swinging from useless to useful faster than Dlender could comprehend.

"Proceed with you finding." Dlender nodded. Maken made a face, and Rinya grinned triumphantly.

\NMM/

"Patrick can you bring these to table 4?" Wesley asked, handing him two full trays of cakes, ice cream and milk shakes.

"U-uh, okay," he replied, trying to find his balance. The cafe was a lot livelier than he expected.

The Mews quickly scattered to resume their jobs, and Patrick managed to scramble to his feet right as Eliot came up to him.

"Maybe delivering to tables isn't your forte Twinkle-Toes," Eliot said, scratching his chin.

"He could just take orders," Aneeta suggested, walking by with a tray of dirty dishes.

"Or maybe clear off tables?" Kotona spoke up, passing by with a jug of juice.

"Or he could greet people at the door!" Kita shouted, zipping through with a tray of various slices of pie.

"You could try all of those and see where you work best." Eliot nodded thoughtfully. "I don't want you almost making a mess of things, and having the girls clean it up for you." Patrick flinched in offense, but didn't say anything. It was his first day on the job after all, and he didn't want to get fired.

So he tried out the different duties of the cafe. He tried clearing off tables and carrying the dishes to the kitchen, but that was just as successful as bringing trays out. He took a few orders, but his nerves always got the best of him when it was a group of girls he was waiting on. He stuttered, and even dropped his pencil a couple times from shaking. Then he tried greeting people at the door. Well, he still had nerves, but he was able to get a lot more giggling girls to come. It seemed those who were already inside called or texted their friends, letting them know about the new change in staff the cafe had.

"It's packed today," Kotona groaned, dropping off an empty tray.

"There's a long waiting line!" Tiffany gasped. "Sweet momma, how long do I have to take this?" Kotona grabbed a note pad and passed by her without glancing at her. Tiffany blinked in confusion.

"What did I do?" she asked Wesley, giving him a weird look.

"Um...I'm sure she'll be fine later on," he replied, giving her a half smile. _Does she really forget things that easy? _he wondered to himself. The phone rang, so he finished arranging the ice cream scoops before answering.

"Cafe Mew Chi Lou, how may I help you?" he asked, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder as he began slicing bananas. "Oh yes, one moment please." He put the knife back down, and covered the receiver in his hand as he looked out into the dining area.

"Oh, Aneeta!" Wesley called as she walked by. "You have a phone call."

"Really?" she asked, looking confused. "Who could it be?" She reached for the phone through the pass-through and put it to her ear? "Hello?"

"Hey Aneeta."

"Jeremy!" she gasped in delight. "Wow, hi! How's Sapporo? How'd you do in the tournament?"

"I managed to come in second in my division," he replied proudly. "The team came in third overall."

"That's so wonderful!" Aneeta grinned, gripping the cord with her free hand.

"Yeah, the coach is taking us to celebrate tonight. We'll be heading back for Nagoya at about ten, so we'll back about nine."

"I thought it only takes nine-and-a-half hours to get back," she said, making a face.

"Well, we're going to be making stops, and who knows what the traffic is going to be like."

"True." She nodded. There was a small silence that Aneeta wasn't sure how to fill.

"I miss you," he said suddenly.

"I-I miss you too," she replied, blushing.

"I'll call you when I get back, if that's okay."

"Of course," she replied a bit too fast.

"All right, I'll talk to you later," he said brightly. "Bye."

"Bye," she said, blushing furiously as she hung up the phone.

"That was Jeremy I'm guessing." Wesley smiled, sliding his chopped bananas into a bowl.

"Yeah." She nodded. "He's coming back tonight."

"That's good to hear."

"Aneeta back to work!" Eliot snapped, coming into the kitchen. She turned back to the dinning room with a mocking look on her face.

"There's a suspicious character in the corner of the room," Kita said, creeping up to Aneeta. Aneeta followed her outstretched hand to a boy sitting with a menu standing up in front of him, looking around casually. He had buzz-cut blue hair, and perfectly square glasses.

"Every time Tiffany goes over to take his order, he asks for a couple more minutes and gives her a flattering flirty compliment," Kita reported. "Pretty suspicious if you ask me."

"Or maybe he just likes flirting with Tiffany." Aneeta shrugged.

"He's done it 5 times though!" Kita shouted, flailing her arms. "I think we should report it to Eliot."

"How about someone else goes and talks to him," Aneeta suggested. "Then if he does the same thing, I'd think he was stalling for time. _Then_ we can tell Eliot."

"Then go," Kita urged, pushing her in his direction.

"W-why me?" she stammered.

"It's your idea." She shrugged. Aneeta huffed and straightened her apron before going up to him.

"Are you ready to order now?" she asked with a smile, taking out a notepad.

"No not yet Sugar," he replied, not looking at her, "but I—Oh." He had turned his head and noticed she was a different waitress. "Uh, actually I am," he nodded, looking down at the menu. Aneeta smirked. See, just flirting.

"I'll have a large slice of chocolate cake," he began, scanning the menu. "A large strawberry flavoured coffee with whipped cream, cocoanut cream pie—two slices—a banana split with extra chocolate..." Aneeta blinked in astonishment at what he ordered.

"That's it." He smiled innocently.

"Okay..." she replied, not looking back up at him. "I'll bring this as soon as I can."

"Take you're time." He winked. She didn't notice because her eyes were still glued to her notepad. Slowly, she made her way back to the pass through, where Amaya is giving Wesley dirty dishes and grabbing an order.

"What's wrong?" she asked before leaving.

"This guy... Has a ridiculous order..." she said, finally looking up.

"What does he want?" Wesley asked making a face.

"Some stuff that's not even on the menu." She ripped off the paper and handed it to him to look over.

"Strawberry flavoured coffee..." Wesley whispered, his face going pale.

"Yeah, weird huh?" Aneeta nodded, putting her hands on her hips.

"That's not a bad idea actually." Amaya shrugged. "I'd try it."

"Where is he sitting at?" Wesley demanded, slapping his hand on the counter and peering out into the dining room eagerly.

"Um...over there," Aneeta said, making a face at him. She turned to point in his direction but froze. "He's gone!"

"No!" Wesley shouted, running through the kitchen and nearly knocking the food out of Amaya's hands. Everyone in the dinning room stopped to watch him race toward the front door.

"Patrick, did a man just walk out of here?" he demanded, grabbing him by his shoulders.

"U-uh don't know," he stammered, eyes wide in shock. "There's s-so many people, and girls keep grabbing my arms..."

"Of course he left," Tiffany gushed, skipping over. "He left me a nice tip."

"Where did he go?" Wesley growled, rushing out of the store.

"Wesley what is it?" Tiffany asked, running after him. Patrick pushed past the growing line of girls so that he could follow.

"What did he look like?" Wesley shouted, looking down the street frantically.

"Blue hair, square glasses, glowing green eyes..." Tiffany listed.

"What color were the glasses?" he asked, turning to stare her down. Tiffany flinched under his gaze. She's never seen him like this. No one had since they started working there, and there must have been very few things that could make him act this way.

"They were gold..." she replied in a quiet voice, hoping that didn't send him into a mad rage. To her relief it didn't, but he did look a lot angrier.

"You know him?" Patrick asked.

"Course I do..." Wesley groaned, feeling helpless. Clenching his fists, he marched back into the cafe, and headed straight for the basement. Patrick and Tiffany followed him while the others handled the confused customers. When he passed through the kitchen, he paused for a second to see Amaya continuing his work.

"Thanks," he replied in a small voice before heading down the stairs. Amaya had only nodded in response, continuing to make the orders as fast as they were coming in.

"It was him!" Wesley shouted in anger when he reached the bottom.

"Who?" Eliot asked, spinning around in his chair.

"And it was him from earlier I bet too," he continued on, pacing in endless circles. "He's always been able to sneak past security without even trying."

"Wesley, _who_?" Eliot demanded, standing up. Wesley held out the boy's order in his face, Patrick and Tiffany watching as Eliot's expression changed to shock.

"He probably made that footage too." He nodded. "The one from the Car Show."

"Who is this 'he' you keep talking about?" Tiffany asked, playing with her hair.

"He goes by many names," Eliot sighed, running his hand over his face. "But we still don't know his real one."

"But who is this guy?" Patrick asked again. "Like who is he to you?"

"A pain in our backside," Wesley grumbled, crumbling the paper in his hands.

"You memorized that stuff already, right?" Eliot asked, lifting an eyebrow with concern.

"Of course." He nodded, trying to sound calm. "Photographic memory."

"So what are you guys going to do exactly?" Tiffany asked, scratching her head.

"We're gonna answer him of course," Wesley growled. "I can't believe he'd ask for such a demand."

"A demand?" Patrick asked, making a face, "but didn't he only order food?"

"It's a code he uses," Eliot explained. "He's used it for years. He uses it as a signature."

"Why does he do that?" Tiffany wondered, making a face, and flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I mean, what's the point of having a code if no one understands it?"

"We do," Wesley answered, finally stopping and leaning against the wall. "I've studied it for years, and I finally understand it. He's taunted me for years with it, but I'm now catching up, and I'm almost able to respond right away. If I had only been a second sooner... I would've been able to catch him this time."

"So what does he want this time?" Eliot asked, sitting down again.

"He dropped off a tip," he replied, closing his eyes. "He said that something is going to happen at the banquet tonight."

"You don't mean the Kim Sterling Banquet do you?" Tiffany gasped.

"You know about it?" Wesley asked, opening his eyes again.

"Only fashion disasters and rejects don't know what the Kim Sterling Banquet is!" she shouted, completely appalled. "It's the biggest get together of models, fashion designers, and companies. Only the finest are invited to represent, and fans like me only dream of getting in. It was started by Kim Sterling himself fifty years ago, and they continue it in his memory."

"And you two are now on the guest list," Eliot informed, turning away from the computer.

"What?" she and Patrick shouted.

"We learned even if it is a trap, to never ignore his warnings," he explained. "So you two are going undercover."

"Oh my gosh!" Tiffany squealed, jumping up and down. "I feel like one of Carly's Bangles!"

"Uh, you mean _Charlie's Angels_?" Patrick corrected.

"So do we get gadgets?" she asked ecstatically, ignoring him.

"You're a Mew," Eliot pointed out. "You got all you need, but MAL will accompany you."

"Sweet." She grinned.

"I-is it just the two of us?" Patrick asked, taking a step away from Tiffany.

"Yup," Eliot nodded. "So take care not to get in too much trouble."

"Ooo, so it's like a date!" Tiffany smiled, batting her eyelashes at him.

"You guys are under the names Mia Wells and David Pine," Eliot said. "You don't need to worry about tickets, since they will be checking on the guest list anyways."

"I'm gonna go shopping right after work!" Tiffany giggled. "This is gonna be so much fun!" Without warning, she through herself at Patrick, hugging him tightly and causing him to turn a deep shade of crimson.

"Just be sure to keep a low profile," Wesley instructed. "But be on the lookout for a man in gold glasses."

"W-won't you guys come too?" Patrick stammered, finally able to pry Tiffany off without hurting her.

"We might make an appearance." Wesley shrugged. "But I doubt he'd be there."

"You just worry about stopping whatever it is that's suppose to happen from happening," Eliot said. "And don't tell the other Mews about this. We want little people to know about him as much as possible."

"Understood!" Tiffany smiled. "I'll just tell them I scored a date with him." She giggled again, and skipped up the stairs.

"Don't worry." Wesley smiled sympathetically patting Patrick on the back. "She's like this with every new guy she meets."

"I just hope she finds someone new soon," he grumbled, heading up the stairs after her.

\NMM/

"Guess what?" Georgia chimed, gliding into the house.

"What?" Aneeta and Jay asked in unison. Aneeta was washing dishes while Jay was working hard on his bookwork report.

"I have 4 tickets to the Kim Sterling Banquet tonight." She grinned, waving the tickets enthusiastically.

"That's so amazing Mom!" Aneeta gasped. "We all get to go?"

"Yes," she said, sitting down across from Jay. "I'm covering it for the magazine. I managed to pull a few strings and get a few more tickets."

"Our names are on the guest list though right?" Jay asked. "This girl in my class was saying even if you have a ticket, you gotta be on the guest list."

"I have Georgia Rolls + 3." She winked. "So where's your father?" The two of them fell silent.

"Working?" she asked, frowning.

"He got asked to create a commercial for this new shaving cream," Jay replied in a quiet voice. "He even gets to create the slogan this time." Georgia sighed heavily, looking intently at the tickets in her hands.

"Why don't you invite one of your friends?" she suggested, motioning toward Aneeta. "Would one of them like to go?"

"Um..." Aneeta hummed, thinking. "Kita isn't really one for fashion... Kotona won't be allowed... I don't really talk to Amaya much... Tiffany's on a date with Patrick..."

"Kotona must be really mad huh?" Jay asked, looking concerned.

"Since when do you keep up with her friends?" Georgia asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I hang out there a lot." He shrugged.

"You should try Amaya though." She smiled. "I'm sure she'd love to go."

"Um, sure." Aneeta nodded. She went into the living room to find her backpack where her Mew Phone was. Makoto lifted his head from the couch as she entered and watched her intently.

"Yeah, tell her about this thing and I'll tell her about her shoes," Aneeta threatened, flipping it open. She pressed a few numbers and called Amaya's number.

"Is something wrong?" Amaya asked, her voice emotionless.

"Um, no, everything's cool," Aneeta replied, suddenly nervous.

"Then why call me on this?" she demanded.

"I-I didn't know how else to get a hold of you," she explained. "My mom had an extra ticket to the Kim Sterling Banquet. She wanted to know if you wanted to go."

"I'm already going," she replied bluntly. "Is that all?"

"Um, yeah," she stammered.

"Then goodbye," Amaya said, but paused. "I'll see you there then."

"Okay." Aneeta smiled, happy about her attempt to be nicer. She quickly slipped her phone into her bag and went back into the kitchen.

"She's already got a ticket," she said, stacking dishes.

"Hmm..." Georgia sighed, tapping her chin with her finger. "I don't want to waste this ticket... How about Jeremy?"

"He won't be back until later tonight," she pointed out with a smile.

"Let's bring Makoto!" Jay grinned.

"Sorry dear," Georgia laughed, "but I'm afraid animals aren't allowed." He pouted and looked down at his papers.

"How about that Ammara girl?" Jay suggested, quickly looking back up again. "You're friends at school right?"

"Um, yeah." She nodded.

"Yes, invite her," Georgia agreed. "She's a nice young lady."

"Okay!" She smiled, scurrying off to the living room again, but to grab the normal phone this time.

\NMM/

Adjusting his tie awkwardly, Patrick looked at himself in the mirror. He had a fancy-shmancy suit on that Wesley loaned him, and a tie that made him feel like he was choking. _Why me?_ he groaned. _I just had to follow Wesley downstairs._ He was stuck going on an undercover operation, trying stop something he had no clue about, not to mention his 'partner' was more focused on him than their obective.

"Patrick!" Tiffany shouted impatiently from the other side of the door. "This is an event I do _not _want be fashionably late for. Hurry it up!" Sighing, he turned around and opened the door. Tiffany was strutting around in impatient circles, wearing a stunning green dress that hugged all her curves and showed a little too much cleavage.

"MAL!" The little doll flew up in his face, nearly knocking him over.

"Wow, you look very cute." He smiled, shaking her outstretched paw.

"MMM." She blushed. She wore a dark blue dress that was very sparkly, and her hair was combed into a mini bun.

"I actually do have gadgets for you guys," Eliot said, coming out into the kitchen carrying a case. "Just small microphones. Tiffany, yours is in a necklace, and Patrick, yours will be in your pocket hanky."

"My _what_?" he asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Eliot popped open the case, and inside was a necklace with a red jewel embedded in it shaped like a paw print and a white napkin.

"You can't be serious!" Tiffany gasped. "You expect me to wear _that_ tacky thing? I'm going to be among fashion gods, and you expect me to wear this people repellant?"

"At least you don't have a snot rag." Patrick sighed, tucking the white napkin into his suit pocket.

"Just make sure you don't loan it to anyone to whip stuff up with," Eliot advised, adjusting it for him. "The microfibers are imbedded with microscopic electric wires."

"Enough nerd-talk." Tiffany sighed, tying the necklace around her neck. "Let's get this show on the road."

"LL!" MAL shouted, flailing her arms in front of Eliot's face.

"Sorry sweetie, nothing for you," he said, patting her head. "You already have a microphone installed in you."

"Why are you even letting us bring her?" Tiffany asked. "You don't like her leaving the cafe."

"I'm just trying to be cautious," he explained. "We aren't even sure what we're up against, and MAL has the highest level of alien detection on Earth. If it's aliens we're dealing with, she'll sense it for sure."

"Sounds good to me." Patrick nodded.

"You know how to drive?" Eliot asked, tossing him a set of keys.

"Not on this side of the world." He blinked in surprise.

"You'll get use to it." He shrugged. "You have the silver one outside the cafe."

"Sweet." Tiffany grinned. "Riding in style! Let's go!" She grabbed Patrick's hand and dragged him out of the cafe as fast as her heels would let her.

"You get us in?" Eliot asked, as Wesley soundlessly entered.

"Of course." He nodded.

"Time to find out who this guy is."

\NMM/

Tiffany was ready to jump out of her skin. She couldn't believe she was here. Actually _here_. The Kim Sterling Banquet. The ceiling was decorated with a dozen huge, extravagant chandeliers, tables were set up all over the place, but left the central area clear. _Perhaps someone will do an exclusive fashion show, _she thought. _Or maybe someone famous will sing! Or some huge news will be announced! Oh my goodness, if anything happens, I'll be one of the first to know!_ While she was fangirling in her mind, MAL sat snug in her purse, pretending to be stuff. She hung out of it though, imitating a purse dog.

Patrick walked around quietly, following Tiffany as she pointed out all the famous people she knew. He wasn't really one for fancy gatherings, especially huge ones. All these people were standing in groups with wine glasses in their hands, taking about the new spring line, or the next big thing in shoes.

"What is that?" a perky man asked, pointing to Tiffany's purse.

"Um, well, it's a MMMALORY," she stammered, staring at him with wide eyes. "It's a MMMALORY Doll. All capitals." _Probably recognized him, _Patrick thought.

"It's so cute," he cooed, touching MAL's hair. "It feels so real. Where can I get one?"

"Sorry, but there's only one of these in the world!" She smiled, proudly, taking a sip from a glass that hadn't been her hand a second ago. "You like?"

"Of course." He smiled. "It's better than a fake purse dog. Let me tell you, having a real one is such a hassel. You could end up getting their little poopies in your wallet."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she giggled. "I'm Tiffany Lachwood."

"Jamie Hardly." He smiled, shaking her hand.

"I know," she squealed. "I'm such a big fan of your designs. I have three of your purses at home. I would've worn one, but I didn't have one big enough for MMMALORY here."

"Well, if your doll ever goes into style, I'll for sure design purses made specifically for its size." He grinned.

"Oh, wow that would be amazing," she gasped. "You wanna talk details?"

"Right this way," he replied, leading her over to a nearby table. _Great,_ Patrick sighed. _She blew her cover by telling him her real name, she's not even paying attention to our mission, and she's planning on selling MAL world-wide._ He went over to the refreshment table to get something to drink. He didn't want any wine that the waiters were carrying around. Punch would suffice.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" a guy asked him when he walked up to pour himself some punch.

"Um, sure." He shrugged. The guy looked like a model. His face was well defined and looked like a guy girls would swoon over.

"You think that girl over there would go out with me?" he asked, motioning to the other end of the table. Patrick followed the direction, and nearly choked on his drink when he saw who he was pointing at. It was Amaya. She had her hair up in a tight neat bun, and wore a slim, strapless black dress that went down to the floor with a slit on one side.

"I-I, uh, think, she uh, might," he stammered.

"Think she's out of my league?" the guy asked. _She's definitely not in mine,_ Patrick thought.

"You never know." He shrugged. "You never know unless you ask..." He was telling himself that more than the guy.

"Yeah I guess so." He smiled. "Thanks man, I'm Grey."

"Patrick." He nodded, shaking his hand. _Ah, damn it, _he cursed silently_. Gave him my real name. Oh well._ He took a big gulp of his punch as he watched Grey walk up to her. He tried not to be obvious, but he watched them. Amaya's face stayed neutral the whole time, which didn't help Patrick out at all. Her face was always neutral. It took only one syllable for Grey to finally stop talking to her and come back over to him. Amaya quickly glared after him resentfully, her eyes connected with Patrick's only for a split second. She quickly turned her back on him, but he could've sworn she saw his eyes widen in surprise.

"No luck," Grey sighed, getting himself a cup of punch.

"Sorry to here that." Patrick nodded.

"Perhaps she's playing hard to get." He shrugged. "I don't really go along with games girls play. Don't feel like getting mixed up in all that."

"Trust me, it's not just you," Patrick sighed.

"You talk to her?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Um...yeah." He nodded, wishing he could take that back. "I work with her."

"What do you guys do?" Grey asked, looking interested.

"We aren't in the fashion industry or anything," he said hesitantly. "We work at a Cafe."

"So how'd you get in?" he asked, making a face.

"Our boss has... Connections."

"That's cool." He smiled.

As they got into small talk, Wesley and Eliot entered the room. They had listened to everything Tiffany and Patrick had said thus far, but so far found nothing unusual.

"I'll circle around this way," Eliot said, adjusting his tux. Wesley nodded and headed in the opposite direction. He kept his eyes peeled, looking at every guy he passed to see if they were wearing the "golden glasses."

"Looking for someone?" asked a soft voice. Wesley looked down at the young woman who was looking him up and down. She had bright red hair in a fancy up-due and wore a short, flaring pink dress. She had dark skin that matched her dark brown eyes.

"Yes actually," he replied casually. "An old friend, haven't seen him in a while actually."

"Good luck, this place is flooded with people," she laughed lightly, taking two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter. She offered him one.

"Thank you." Wesley smiled, taking it, but wasn't interested in drinking it.

"My name is Bianca," she introduced. "Bianca Whiles."

"Wesley, he replied simply, his eyes scanning the crowd. "I'm sorry, do you mind..." He gestured before him.

"Not at all." She shrugged, moving forward when he did. "So what do you do?"

"I bake," he replied, not looking at her. "I run a cafe."

"Oh really?" She nodded, looking quite interested. "I like cafes."

"Yes, they are quite amazing. What do you do?"

"Many things." Bianca smiled, but he didn't catch the mischievousness of it. "I work a lot, travel a lot, but once in a while I like to rest and just relax."

"Yes, relaxing is good," he agreed, taking a sip of his glass.

"You're only hearing half of what I say aren't you?" she laughed lightly.

"Um, what?" Wesley asked.

"Exactly." She smirked. "I think you should chill, and enjoy the evening."

"I'd love to, but I'm actually needed somewhere," he replied, placing his glass down on a random table. "It was very nice meeting you Miss Whiles."

"You remembered my name, so I guess that's good," she laughed. "And it's Ms. actually."

"I'm good with names." He smiled before leaving her behind. Bianca slipped her hand into her purse and clicked a small device.

"Wesley, I'm picking up psychic interference," Eliot said urgently through Wesley's earpiece. "It's coming from your end."

"Psychic?" he replied, confused. "How could there be psychic interference?"

"I don't know, but if we don't hurry soon, everyone in this room will be asleep, and who knows what's going to happen after that," he said urgently. "I'm heading your way." Wesley looked around frantically, desperate to find someone with a pair of golden glasses. _So this is what you want?_ he thought, grabbing a waiter, thinking he saw shine on his glasses, but they were blue. _This is how you plan on doing it. That boy earlier wasn't you. You are only one of few who plan on exposing us, but I swear you will not be the one to do it..._ His train of thought stopped when he tripped and fell forward, skidding his elbows. _I'll find you..._ he thought, drifting off to sleep.

\NMM/

"Miss Lachwood, Mr. Takanora is on the phone. He wants to discuss your fall line," a secretary buzzed through her intercom.

"Tell him that I'm not going to share my secrets," Tiffany giggled. "This is something I'm keeping to myself until I release it for the public."

"Yes Miss Lachwood," the secretary replied. Sighing, Tiffany leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on the desk. Life was absolutely perfect. She was the head of her own clothing line, and the head editor for her own magazine company. She even did modelling on the side! She was currently single, but she dated many goodlooking and wealthy men to last her a lifetime. But of course she wanted enough to last _many _lifetimes. Spinning around in her chair, she stood up and looked out the glass window that took up one entire wall of her office. It gave her a beautiful view of Tokyo, the sun setting below the horizon. _Nothing can break this serene peace,_ she thought, taking in a deep breath. She had jinxed herself, for as soon as she said it, a giant mutated wasp zoomed up from below.

"What?" Tiffany gasped, taking a startled step back. The wasp created a high pitch irritating sound which shattered the window into a million pieces. Tiffany ducked and shielded her face as pieces flew past her.

"So you like making harsh sounds huh?" she asked, taking out her pendant. "Well two can play at that game!"

\NMM/

Patrick grunted as he brought his hand up to his head. It was throbbing in pain. He looked around and found himself sitting in an open field, just like the fields back home in Connecticut. _How'd I get here?_ he wondered, glancing up at the quarter horse grazing beside him.

"Are you okay?" a concern voice called. It was a girl's voice. He turned to see who it was, but a pair of hands grabbed his head and was moving his hair around to examine the damage. It felt nice having her move her hands through his hair, but he couldn't help but blush deeply.

"You can see straight right?" she asked. "You fell pretty hard. Never thought I'd see you get thrown off a horse."

"It wasn't the first." Patrick shrugged. "And it wont be the...last." He was completely shocked to find himself staring at a concerned-looking Amaya.

"Well be more careful," she ordered. "You could end up getting a concussion or something."

"Y-yes ma'am," he stammered. He didn't realize it, but they were speaking English and not Japanese.

"Okay." She smiled, kissing his head. "There, all better." His face was on fire now. _W-what is she doing? _he thought. _T-this isn't her..._

"How about I go get sunshine, and we can go for a ride down the trail," she suggested, sitting down beside him, "and I can bring a lunch. We could stop in that clearing by the stream. The grounds relatively flat there so—" Patrick carefully raised his hand and put it against Amaya's forehead, making her lean back.

"What are you doing?" she asked, making a face.

"A-are you feeling okay?" he stammered. "Or maybe it's me." He put his other hand to his forehead. "I did hit it hard..."

"I'm fine Silly," she giggled, removing his hand, but holding it in hers. "So no picnic? Okay. We could go back to the house. I'll make something there, and we could watch TV...Why are you staring at me like that?"

"You're not real," he said quietly. It was true. The real Amaya wouldn't show this much expression, and she most certainly wouldn't be wasting it on him.

"Of course I am," she protested, looking hurt. Seeing her look like that made his chest ache, but he wouldn't believe it. No matter how realistic this was, it wasn't real.

"No, this must be a mind trick," he said shaking his head. He quickly got to his feet and took a couple steps back from her. "I'm sorry, but I got to leave. I gotta take care of something." Amaya stood up and stared at him with a hard expression. _Now that's the Amaya I know,_ he though. She then smirked, a strong wind blowing her hair all around her face.

"You're pretty fast," she remarked, digging into her pocket. "The others are still trying to figure it out what's _so _wrong, but are living their dreams as if they were reality."

"So it's a dream." Patrick nodded, understanding the situation. "So shouldn't it fade now that I know it isn't real?"

"For once, you don't control your dream." She smirked, putting on a pair of gold glasses. "I do." The ground around him caved in, causing him to stumble back and nearly slip off the small patch of ground that was left for him to stand on. "Can't have you running away now can I?" she laughed, floating on midair.

"So you're 'him'," Patrick said, narrowing his eyes. "Wesley was right about this being a trick."

"Not a trick." She smiled. "He knew what was going to happen, it was all in the instructions."

"Instructions?" he repeated. "But Wesley said you gave him a warning."

"Yes, but a warning of what I wanted." She nodded. "And now I have it."

"And may I ask what that is?" he asked, folding his arms. She smirked evilly and began floating away.

"I only asked for two, but I got four Mews at a huge event covered by the media," she explained. "Won't it be amazing when they catch their transformations on tape?"

"No!" he shouted, feeling completely useless. _She can't make me transform,_ he thought. Nothing can... He took back his words when the endless hole around him began to fill up with water rapidly.

"Oh no," he groaned, stepping back from the edge. To make things worse, he saw a few fins break the surface of the murky liquid.

"The only way to get out is to fly," he said out loud, hesitantly reaching for his pendant.

\NMM/

With a finally push, MAL was able to finally pull out of Tiffany's purse. Giving herself a good pat down, she surveyed the damage. Everyone in the room was asleep, all but one. MAL hid behind a centre piece and watched a woman with dark red hair and dark skin make her way around, messing with TV cameras. She turned them so that they pointed in different directions. Curious, she hovered from table to table, getting closer to see what she was doing. There was nothing special about the table she pointed one camera at. It had Aneeta, Jay, their mom and some other girl... MAL felt a familiar jolt, but ignored it, determined to fix this.

She followed the woman to another camera where she pointed it at Patrick, who was out cold on the floor. She was beginning to see a pattern. Instead of grabbing another camera, she slid Amaya down so she was sitting next to Patrick, and both of them were in the camera's line of sight. She also realized that they were gripping something in their hands, something that radiated Mew energy. Panicking, she finally realized what she was doing. By having them transform in their subconscious, they would transform in reality. And if caught on tape, they'd be caught...

"LL!" she shouted, zooming out of hiding as the lady turned a camera on Tiffany. She looked up in alarm, but then smiled in amusement.

"You must be their new toy," she said, looking her over. "You really are a cute little thing."

"MM! LLL! M!" she shouted, shaking her paw at her.

"Sorry, but I won't stop what I'm doing." The woman smiled, understanding her perfectly. "You'll just have to deal with it. Wesley and Eliot had this coming for a very long time you see. Don't worry, they won't get in trouble, but they won't have the element of secrecy. They took away mine, now I'll take away theirs." She reached into her purse and pushed another button, which turned the cameras on.

"Have fun." She smiled, strutting. "Oh, and if they do end up making cute purse dolls of you, I'll be sure to buy one." MAL's face flamed red in fury. Desperate, she shot over to Tiffany and shook her arm.

"MM! MMM!" she cried, pulling at her hair. Nothing she did woke her up. Shaking in fear, she hurried to the centre of the room, trying to think of something to do. She thought of thousands of solutions in a few seconds, but most of them were cancelled out because of her size and strength. Being an android, she did have a drive inside that stored extra energy in case she short circuited and needed an extra boost. A brilliant idea popped into her head, and she knew it was the only way.

Concentrating, she sent as much energy into that drive as she could, overflowing it. Her body shook as it tried to compensate for the lack of energy flowing through her. It then became too much and she stopped working, but the drive kicked in, shocking her with the access energy. The shock was so great that it sent an electromagnetic pulse far enough to disable all the cameras in the room. Satisfied, MAL sunk to the floor, preserving the energy she had left.

\NMM/

When Amaya woke up, the room was dark, the only light coming from the street lights through the windows along the one wall. _It was only a dream... _she thought, tears streaming down her face. _Why? Why did you have to die?_

"Amaya?" someone said, touching her shoulder. She flinched away in surprised, and stared in horror when she realized it was Patrick.

"Are you okay?" his eyes filled with concern. She turned away from him and quickly got to her feet, leaning onto the table for support.

"Amaya-" She didn't wait to hear what he had to say. She hurried through the darkness, stumbling into people as they moved around with confusion, nearly falling her face a couple times. The tears in her eyes didn't help her sight any.

"I don't want to live like this anymore," she sobbed to herself. On the other side of the room, Tiffany was looking around for MAL frantically.

"MAL!" she called. "Oh my goodness, if you can hear me answer!" People must of thought she was crazy for calling out to a doll, but she didn't care. If she lost her, who knew what Wesley and Eliot would do. She must have cost them a fortune.

"Looking for this?" a familiar voice asked. "Looking up, she saw Eliot cradling MAL in his arms.

"Oh thank goodness!" she sighed in relief. "Why is she sleeping?"

"EMP," he replied. "She stopped the cameras from exposing the Mews."

"What a brave little soldier," she cooed, petting her hair.

"Oh, and if they do make MMMALORY Dolls, I expect to get 60% pf your profit." Eliot smirked.

"Oh no you don't," Tiffany gasped, looking at him in disbelief. "You would get like 20."

"55," he haggled.

"30," she huffed.

"40."

"45!" she shouted, catching people's attention.

"Deal." Eliot nodded, and shook her hand.

"Ha!" She grinned. "I win." Eliot rolled his eyes. _I'd like to see her run a business,_ he thought. Wesley stood up and ran his hands over his face. _Again... _he thought. _Again he got away. I'll never catch him..._ He turned to make his way toward the exit when he saw Bianca watching him intently. He made a face as he watched her reach into her bag and pull out a pair of glasses. His breath got caught in his throat when he realized the color. He tried to push his way through the crowd. _Not again,_ he thought, finally making it outside. He huffed and scratched his head, staring down at the ground. He then noticed a yellow piece of paper stuck in the side walk. Curiously, he squatted down and picked it up. His eyes widened as he read it.

"It was nice to finally meet face...to real face."

_\AN/_

_Disclaimer: I do not own any references I have made in this fic._

_Honestly, I have no clue how kendo tournaments go. XP Sorry. If anyone does, I'd love it if you explained the tournament system to me. =) _

_Also, it's becoming a bit harder to come up with phrases I can use for titles with "Mew" in it. So if you can think of any let me know. :)_

_Preview of Chapter 14:_

_The Mews Go Marching _

Kita – No fair! I missed out!

Aneeta – You didn't miss out much, we only fell asleep.

*Patrick stays silent*

*Tiffany runs in with MAL and a piece of paper*

Tiffany – You aren't going to beleive it!

Kotona – You got a date with a male model?

Tiffany – I wish, but that's not I want to say. They are actually gonna make MMMALORY Dolls!

Patrick – No way.

Tiffany – Yes way. And I get to design all her accessories.

MAL- MMM! LL!

Tiffany – And MAL will be my model.

Kita – That's actually cool.

*Amaya enters looking pissed*

Amaya – That stupid model is here to see you again

*All girls look at him*

Patrick – He's a friend...

*Quickly leaves before he's interrogated*

Tiffany – You mean there's a sexy male model here in the Cafe?

Kotona – You are dating my brother, I got dibs!

*Kotona and Tiffany race each other out*

Kita – Tiffany still doesn't care doesn't she?

Aneeta – Nope.


	14. Chapter 14: The Mews Go Marching In

I give you...another chapter. At last! XD

Some of you may be wondering where the heck this Bianca character came from. Don't worry, she'll show up some more in this series, and she'll be explained. She's not a random person! lol

Chapter 14: The Mews Go Marching In

"Okay, okay, show time people," Tiffany grinned, clasping her hands together excitedly.

"But we have to finish cleaning," Kita protested, dipping the mop into the mop bucket.

"But you promised after work," she whined, stomping her foot like a child.

"We're still working," Kotona glared, washing off a table.

"Well, time to put down your mops, brooms and buckets, because it's time for the MMMALORY fashion show!" She giggled, throwing her hands up just as the lights turned off. There was a loud yelp, and a panicked scream, and the sound of something knocked over. The room was filled with flashing lights of many colours, and the Mews were staring at a mini runway set up on a row of tables pushed together.

"I'm sorry," Aneeta said, trying to help Patrick up. "I-I just panicked. I hate the dark."

"No, no it's fine," he nodded, holding his head. The lights had turned off just as he had walked into the room, and he walked right into Aneeta, who screamed and pushed him into a table.

"Alright," Tiffany beamed, clearing her throat, and speaking into a microphone. "Our first model is showing off what MMMALORY will be wearing this coming winter."

"Where has she been living? It's already November," Kotona whispered to Kita, who chuckled in response. MAL came out on the run way, beaming brighter than the flashing lights. She was dressed in a dark blue parka and brown boots, with a pair of cute fluffy light blue earmuffs on her head.

"This stylish outfit comes in 12 different colours," Tiffany said informatively as MAL strut down the walkway, nearly tripping a couple times. "Our model of course prefers this shade, because it emphasizes her hair colour."

"I still can't believe she's actually going through with selling MAL-like dolls," Kita said, scratching her head when MAL scurried back behind the curtains.

"Well, at least if anyone were to find _our_ MAL, they'll think she's just a doll," Patrick stated.

"And it won't seem that weird to see something like her out in public," Aneeta agreed, moving closer to the group. "That's smart thinking."

"Thanks," she smiled. The fashion show consisted of many outfits that were designed by Tiffany herself. Including sports attire, casual wear, and swim wear – which MAL was highly nervous of showing off. With each outfit that was presented, Tiffany's face became brighter and brighter with pride. Aneeta couldn't help but notice this. She'd always seen Tiffany smile, but this was a new level. She looked so happy, and it made all her other expressions of joy look fake. Wesley and Eliot had shown up half way through to see what they were getting themselves into. Wesley held high praise for Tiffany's work, and Eliot just kept his mouth shut for once.

"Great job MAL," Tiffany cheered, clapping for her when it was all done. MAL took a bow as the others joined in the praise.

"How did you find time to make all this?" Kita asked, scratching her head. Between working, shopping, school, and her Mew duties, it didn't seem like she had a lot of spare time lately.

"Oh, I've had these designs for a long time," she replied waving her hand. "I've got books and books of them."

"You know you are dressing a doll and not a model right?" Eliot asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes, but who says she isn't a high fashioned doll?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I'm just saying," he shrugged. "You shouldn't be putting in all this unnecessary effort for something to trivial." The other mews back away as Tiffany's hair stood on end in complete fury.

"TRIVIAL!' She shouted, throwing her clipboard to the ground.. "You think what I do is trivial? Do you _know_ how popular these dolls are going to be? Jamie Hardly could make a tin can as a hat a fashion statement! And you think I do this is unnecessary? If I ever expect to become a fashion designer, I put all my effort and dedication into _anything_ I do. MMMALORY is my break through, so I am putting _everything_ I have into this. And you can just take your thoughts and shove it!" Unexpectedly, her ears and tail popped out, but she didn't even notice. She huffed angrily, and picked up her clipboard, stomping out of the room. Aneeta swore the ground shook with every step she took.

"Do you have to be a jerk?" Kita spat, throwing the mop and heading for the employee lounge.

"That really was mean," Kotona nodded, dropping her rag on a table, following Kita. "Even for Tiffany." Aneeta wasn't sure what to say. She just left too, leaving the three boys alone.

"Um..., do I have to clean everything now...?" Patrick asked, looking at the mess that still needed to be taken care of.

"No, go on," Eliot shrugged. "Walk away too." Patrick didn't argue, and left to go change.

"Why are you so snappy lately?" Wesley asked, looking at him in concern. "I mean...more than usual. What Tiffany's doing is great, and it really could be the kick start of her career."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't effect me any," Eliot shrugged, heading for the basement. _What has gotten into him?_ Wesley wondered, folding his arms.

\NMM/

"How's the repairs going to the garage?" Kita asked, before shoving a big spoonful of frozen yogurt into her mouth. She, Kotona, and Patrick stopped the local sweets truck that road around and helped themselves to a frozen yogurt treat, on Patrick. He was walking them home, since Tiffany had left without speaking to anyone, and Aneeta had plans with Jeremy.

"It's going," he replied. "It's almost finished. The building itself is repaired, they just have to repave everything."

"That's good," Kotona answered. "So, you thinking of telling her?" Patrick nearly chocked on his yogurt. He had to stop and collect himself, and stared down at the two little girls innocently blinking up at him.

"Wh-what do you mean?" he stammered.

"Oh please," Kita sighed, rolling her eyes. "Is he really gonna make us play this game?"

"Yes, yes I think so," Kotona nodded, eating another scoop.

"I-I have no idea what you are t-talking about," he stuttered, looking away from them.

"We see how you look at her," Kita said, lightly kicking him. "You like Amara."

"N-no I don't," he protested, moving away from them. "You live down this way right?"

"No, I live here." Patrick turned around and saw the girls sitting on a bench.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, looking confused.

"Confess mister!" Kita pointed accusingly at him with her spoon. "We see how you look at her, and how you always lose your cool when she comes around. I mean, what little cool you have." He was a little offended at that statement.

"I-"

"Don't lie," Kotona interrupted. "We know when you lie. You avert your eyes and your nostrils widen." Patrick covered his nose in embarrassment.

"Don't worry my friend," Kita grinned. "We want to help you. We're gonna help you rope in your woman."

"S-she's not my w-woman," he replied, turning his attention to his yogurt.

"Not yet," Kita grinned. "I'm sure you can win her over with our help. We know woman, and we know her."

"But you're only in elementary school," Patrick said, exasperated. "How can you know stuff about _woman_?"

"I have an older sister, a mom, _and_ I've been hanging out with Aneeta," she countered. He looked incredulously at them. They looked back with neutral faces, eating their yogurt.

"Look, I don't need your help with anything," he said, shaking his head.

"But I can see you two together," Kita gushed. "You two would be so cute!"

"Yeah well, you can't make a couple if the feelings are only one-sided," he snapped. The girl's faces fell.

"O-oh my, I-I'm sorry," he gasped. "Really I am. It's just..."

"No, you're right," Kita sighed. "I forgot about that. Kotona, change of plans! We need to find out who Amaya likes!"

"Wh-what?" Patrick asked, wide-eyed.

"Yup, then if she does like you, it'll make our plans easier," Kotona nodded.

"If she doesn't we need to change our tactics," Kita huffed, planning a million plots in her head.

"Patrick wait!" Kotona shouted hopping off of the bench. He had started walking away from them.

"We're not crazy!" Kita cried, running after him.

\NMM/

Tiffany was very busy over the course of the week. Her room was over flowing with fabric, and sketches were tacked up where there was space. MAL stayed with her, helping in any ways she could with the clothing designs. When she wasn't her little manikin, she was fetching her things and holding them for her, or even sowing. When Tiffany was at the cafe, she barely paid attention to her duties. She was tweaking a frill here, or shortening a skirt there. Not to mention she had to plan out how she was actually gonna finish all the designs in time. Creating a line for each season consisting of 25 outfits each seemed outrageous, but Tiffaany Lachwood loved a challenge, and she usually made the deadlines she made herself. Usually.

She planned to get it all gone by 6:00 on Thursday, so she could call Jamie before he left his office, but with 2 hours to go, she still hadn't finished a couple of outfits from each season. She got really desperate, so she called up her fellow mews. Aneeta and Kita were going their tutor thingy, so they wouldn't be able to come around until later, Patrick was tied up at the garage, and Amaya just plain didn't answer. The only one who wasn't busy was Kotona, but she refused to come over and help. Tiffany's friends would've helped if they weren't on their biweekly shopping splurge. A splurge she was missing out on because of the deadline.

She needed a break badly, and MAL wasn't going anywhere buried in thread, so Tiffany decided to take a walk around her apartment building to get some air. Her hair was frizzy, her make-up blotchy, her clothes worn. She wasn't liking this at all. She always wanted to be a designer, and work under pressure, and this was her first realistic situation. Sure she used to pretend she had to make deadlines when she was younger. What little girl didn't? She chose a date to design something by, but she'd always finish days early. She knew that the real thing would be hectic, but _this_ bad?

She had mad a complete round of the floor below her penthouse apartment when she walked right smack dab into someone.

"Ah, Prada pumps," she groaned, rubbing her face. "Why aren't you watching where you're going?"

"I was," the guy protested. "I tried to go around you, but its like you had homing beacon on me." She removed her eyes to glare at him, and she figured out she homed in on him unconsciously.

"You're that stalker model from the cafe," she said, pointing at him.

"I'm not a stalker," Grey replied, making a face.

"You come everyday and request Amaya to take your order, and you say cheesy, yet charming pickup lines," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Trust me, I know what a stalker is. I've had my fair share of them, as well as performed the deed myself on a few attractive specimen." He averted his eyes and pursed his lips. Busted.

"I didn't know you lived here," she said, quickly wanting to move the subject away from his stalkee.

"Of course you didn't, or else you would've been banging on my door," he shrugged. "I see how you look at me."

"I don't look at you," she huffed, waving her hand.

"Ya you do," he grinned, folding his arms. "I see the blazing jealousy when I'm talking with Amaya."

"Yeah, like you would be paying attention when talking to her," she replied rolling her eyes. "You practically drool over her."

"Hey," he shrugged shamelessly. "She's hot." Tiffany felt a blow to her ego.

"She's not the only hot waitress at the cafe!" she shouted incredulously.

"Well, the others are kind of young," he pointed out. "Wouldn't looking at them that way be down right creepy, or even illegal?"

"I'm the same age as Amaya," she huffed, throwing her arms out. "And I'm drop dead gorgeous!" He tried to hold back a chuckle as he looked her up and down.

"No offence, but right now you don't look that good at all," he snickered. Tiffany looked down at herself, and felt her hair. It was true, she was a wreck. But she was working countless hours on her line, which she had to get back to and really didn't have time to bicker.

"Well, keep your opinions," she replied, lifting her chin into the air. "If you'll excuse me I need to go back to work."

"I thought the cafe was closed on Thursdays," he wondered, following her curiously toward the elevator.

"It's my private work," she answered, pulling a hair tie out of thin air and tying her hair back. "I'm designing clothes."

"You're a designer?" Grey asked, sounding impressed.

"Yes, yes I am," she said proudly, though it was slightly stretching the truth.

"Well, you know that I'm a model," he smirked.

"So you say," she replied as the elevator arrived. "But the thing is, I tried looking you up, but couldn't find you in any model database in Asia, Europe, or North America." She climbed on the elevator and faced him. He was leaning in the frame keeping it from closing.

"Well, I like to keep a low profile," he shrugged. "I use an alias."

"So you say," she said, still not convinced. "Now if you'll please get out of the way. I have a deadline to keep."

"You think I could help?" he offered, getting onto the lift.

"Yeah, the clothes would be too...small for you," she smirked, imagining him in one of MAL's skirts.

"I'm sure I could help out in some other way," he shrugged.

"We'll see."

\NMM/

"Why doesn't he come to see _me_?" Tiffany growled, gazing out of the kitchen at Patrick's friend who sat in the middle of the dining room. It was obvious that he came to see Amaya. He always asked if she was working, and when she was, requested to be served by her. She did of course, but she never replied to his question that didn't relate to the menu.

"I'm beautiful," Tiffany sniffed. "I'm attractive. What does Amaya have that I don't?"

"She's not a mindless Stick," Kita whispered to Aneeta, who chuckled at their old joke.

"I mean, he helped me with my line last night," she sighed, flicking a crumb across the counter. "He even stayed over for dinner after I called Jamie and told him I finished. My mom was thrilled because I rarely bring guys over."

"You barely bring guys over?" Kita repeated, lifting an eyebrow. "That's hard to believe."

"I always go to their place," she explained. "You know, cause my mom is _always_ home."

"You have a boyfriend," Kotona protested, flicking her ear. "Stop complaining."

"He's not my boyfriend," Tiffany countered. "We're not official. He's just a guy I'm seeing."

"What kind of crap is that?" Kotona shouted, looking very angry. "How can you be 'seeing' someone and checkout other guys."

"Oh that's nothing," Tiffany giggled. "I saw 5 guys at the same time before. You know I don't really do the whole commitment thing. I like to play the field, ya know?"

"No I don't know!" Kotona growled, flailing her hands in the air. "You whore!" The last word echoed through the entire dining room, causing everyone to stop and stare at her, and Patrick to drop a pile of menus. Kotona swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat when she saw her brother standing in the doorway, also staring at her. Blushing in embarrassment, she ran for the staff lounge.

"Well, I haven't done the deed yet," Tiffany said, not even realizing the awkwardness of the situation. "Not to mention I wouldn't do it for money, so technically I'm not a whore."

"Now she decides to be smart," Kita said, rolling her eyes.

"Which flavor of milkshake?" Amaya asked, for the third time.

"The one that comes topped with your number," Grey answered slyly. That was the 5th line he used, and it was no better than the rest. Deciding she had enough, she flipped to a new page on her notebook and scribbled on it. She tore it out and slammed it face down on the table.

"Which flavor?" she repeated, no emotion in her voice.

"Chocolate," he replied with a huge grin. Amaya left the paper and walked away, and could her a dissatisfied grunt from behind her. She silently hooked the order on the wrack sitting on the counter.

"Hey Amaya," Eliot said, intercepting her before she could walk off again.

"Yes?" she asked, her face straight.

"We have a birthday group coming in," he began.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Aneeta demanded, leaning in from the kitchen. "You're suppose to let us know before our shift starts!"

"They _just_ called okay?" he snapped, causing her to recoil. "Anyways, since two of our staff decided to take their breaks early, I need you to help Patrick set up. There's suppose to be about 15 kids, so just bring out the two rectangular tables from the back, and throw the birthday table cloth on it. I have MAL already blowing up balloons."

"Alright," she replied, turning sharply on her heels.

" But, when do I get _my_ break?" Aneeta gasped. "Jeremy's supposed to be here soon."

"When the kids stop crying," he barked. "He doesn't have to see you while you're at work. Don't you see him at school and in your free time?" She was gonna argue back and say most of her spare time was studying and being here, but she didn't wanna start a big argument. He looked really mad. Aneeta felt worried as he stomped into the kitchen and shut himself in the basement.

"What's wrong with him?" Aneeta asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I don't know," Wesley sighed, folding his arms. "He's been like that all week. I can't get anything out of him."

"Hm," Aneeta thought, tapping her finger on her chin. "Tiffany, go take care of customers and stop standing there."

"Yes, Mrs. Bossy," Tiffany replied with attitude. "But remember I have to leave soon to meet Jamie. He wants to see my designs."

"If we had the van back, you know I would drive you," Wesley said with a smile.

"I know," she grinned, leaving the room in grace.

"Wesley, you think you could get Kotona and Kita back?" Aneeta asked. "I'm gonna try to talk to Eliot."

"You think you can get him to talk?" Wesley said, looking doubtful.

"I can try," she shrugged, picking up a cupcake. "Vanilla's his favourite right?"

"With the white sprinkles on top of strawberry icing," Wesley nodded, sprinkling some sprinkles on it. "Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it," she smiled, slowly opening the door to the basement. She quietly closed it behind her and took the stairs at a steady pace.

"Go away," Eliot said flatly, not turning around. The computer screen did have a large picture on it, but ti disappeared when he noticed her presence.

"I brought you a cupcake," she said quietly, placing it on the TV tray covered with instant dinners. Wesley must have been insulted by him eating such things, but he must have barely left the basement too.

"That all?" he asked, rather harshly.

"Well," she hesitated, not sure what to say.

"Go away Aneeta," he repeated, typing at his computer.

"Was that her?" she blurted, covering her mouth afterwards. Eliot's fingers froze on the keys.

"Excuse me?" he demanded coldly, turning slightly so he could glare at her.

"The girl in the picture," she thought it was a girl that she saw on the screen. "Was that Zoey? Your girlfriend?" Eliot looked away from, remaining silent for a very long time. Aneeta just stood their awkwardly, shifting her weight from one leg to the other when it got uncomfortable. She kind of regretted what she asked, but she was curious, and wanted to know if she was the reason he was so upset.

"Ex..." Aneeta was barely able to pick that up. His shoulders were slightly shaking, and she heard him sniff.

"Ex," she repeated, taking a step forward. "You mean, you guys are no longer together?" Without saying anything, he turned around to grab the cupcake she put down for him. She could see his eyes glistening, but no tears spilled over. He ate the cupcake silently, not looking at her, and she leaned against the wall, waiting for him to speak. It was sad to think that he wasn't together with her anymore. He seemed happy to tell them the little things he did about her on the way to the car show. And they had dated for 3 years. Maybe it was the distance? I couldn't imagine dating long-distance.

"She's going away to America," he said quietly, his voice level.

"America?" I repeated, afraid to talk too loud.

"Yeah, abroad," he sighed. "At least it's not England." He mumbled the last sentence.

"So...you guys aren't together because she's going abroad?" Aneeta said, raising an eyebrow, "but aren't you already doing the whole long-distance thing?"

"She's going to the other side of the world," he replied bitterly. "How could a relationship survive like that?"

"I'm sure it could be done," Aneeta said, trying to sound positive. "I mean, as long as you both trust each other to be faithful, and don't mind being physically far apart from each other for long periods of time. There are people who do it."

"Name one," Eliot said, still not looking at her. Aneeta bit her lip. The only people she could think of were those from novels.

"She's the one who called it off anyways," he sighed, closing his eyes. "I wanted to try, but she..."

"She thought it was for the best?" she guessed, hoping she was at least close.

" Yeah," he muttered. "Now go away." He turned his chair around again to face the computer screen and just stared at it. Aneeta hesitated, not sure if she should say something else. If she _could_ say something else. She really didn't know what to say. She sighed softly, and slowly went back upstairs. She looked back at him once, and saw a picture of a grinning red-headed girl.

\NMM/

Aneeta returned to the kitchen to find Tiffany chatting it up with Grey, which was a real surprise. Wesley wasn't in the kitchen which was odd as well.

"Oh, Aneeta," Tiffany chimed gleefully when she noticed her. "Wesley said for you to keep up with kitchen duty. He's out back trying get things sorted with Amaya and Patrick. He said he'd be only a few minutes."

"Why aren't you doing anything?" Aneeta asked, then wondered why she would even ask that.

"I'm going now," she said, taking off her apron. "Grey's going to take me to the meeting with Jamie."

"How nice," she sighed. She didn't think she could fill Wesley's shoes.

"Have fun," Tiffany grinned, skipping to the staff lounge. She quickly got changed and met Grey at his...van?

"Um, a high class model is driving a van?" she said, making a face.

"It has all your stuff in it," he laughed, opening the back to show her the boxes filled with her clothing. "I borrowed it from a friend. I'm only driving it to help you out."

"Well, that's...," she struggled for the right word. "Thoughtful."

"I try," he shrugged. "Hope you don't mind me getting them from your house. Your mom helped me bring it all down. She's very proud of you."

"Why wouldn't she be?" she asked, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "I'm a daughter worth being proud of."

"Of course you are," he agreed, climbing into the driver's seat. Tiffany fluffed her hair after she climbed in the passenger side. She still smelt like baked goods and cleaning products. She reached deep into her Coach purse and pulled out the latest perfume by D & G, hoping to mask it.

"So how do i get to this guy's place?" Grey asked, pulling away from the curb.

"I drew it out on this map," she grinned proudly, pulling out a folded piece of paper from her purse. She only unfolded it once and it fell open, covering herself and half of Grey, who had to lean around it to see out the windshield. "Okay...where did I draw it?" Grey groaned and rolled his eyes as she desperately tried to find the directions.

Back at the cafe, after Amaya, Patrick and Wesley had brought in the tables for the party, they had to take them out again because the kid wanted it outside. MAL flew around tying balloons to chairs, Wesley went back inside to take care of the kitchen, while and Amaya and Patrick set up the table placings, as well as games the kids could play. Amaya didn't make eye contact with Patrick, and barely spoke to him, making him feel very uncomfortable.

"So, uh, should we go with the blue or pink settings?" Patrick holding up with the two different coloured plates.

"Pink," Amaya replied bluntly, taking the rest of the balloons from MAL. "The party's for a girl." Patrick nodded, and placed a pile of them on one end of the table. He found it amazing how MAL could blow out helium with the switch of a button. The balloons floated nicely, and Amaya tied the remaining amount around the centre piece. It was a ballerina, which was brought in by the mother earlier.

"MMM," MAL hummed, poking Patrick.

"What?" he asked making a face. She pointed at Amaya and battered her eyelash-less eyes. _Not you too,_ he thought, shaking his head.

"Wee!" An excited squeal came from around the the side of the cafe, followed by a little girl. She had her blond hair tied up in four ponytails with a different coloured ribbon in each. "Oh, hi miss." The little girl waved excitedly at Amata. Patrick looked at her, and saw horror cross it.

"H-hi," she forced herself to say, looking to where the sound of more voices were coming.

"I have to go," Amaya said hurriedly, making her way to the cafe.

"B-but you can't just leave me to do this by myself," he protested. MAL had become a dead weaight on his shoulder.

"Yes I can," she spat, heading straight for the staff lounge.

"Amaya, what's wrong?" he asked, feeling worried. He managed to grab her arm, and instantly regretted it. She spun around, and her foot came into contact with his head, causing him to hit the ground hard.

"Don't you _ever_, touch me again," she growled, anger ripe in her voice.

"Amaya!" Aneeta gasped in shock. Amaya glared at her, but all hostility vanished in a few blinks, and was replaced by remorse. Aneeta thought she saw tears building up, but she ran away without saying anything else.

"You okay?" Aneeta asked, kneeling beside Patrick. He started muttering stuff in English, and she could only make out "horse" and "feed".

"Hey, Japanese please," she said, brushing his hair back to look at the growing goose egg.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, finally full of his surrounding, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh, just checking your head," she said, jumping back a bit in surprise. "Looks like it's gonna be a big one."

"I-I'll just get some ice," he groaned sitting up. "You don't think anyone in the restaurant saw that did you?"

"Maybe not the kick, but everyone heard her yell at you," Aneeta replied. "What happened?"

"Well, the birthday girl arrived," he explained, touching his tender head. "Then Amaya freaked out and ran inside. I followed. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing, since I've never done a birthday before. Next thing I know she's going Jackie Chan on me."

"Who's Jackie?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Never mind," he sighed, slowly getting to his feet.

"Why is there no one outside keeping an eye out for the party?" Eliot demanded, walking up to them.

"Heading out now," Aneeta replied, sending Patrick off to the kitchen.

"Someone should already be out there," he said, mumbling something else under his breath as he headed outside. Aneeta made a face behind his back. Sure he was upset about being dumped, but he didn't have to take it out on all of them. But she didn't argue with him and just followed.

\NMM/

"This is it," Tiffany squealed, jumping out of the van. After taking more wrong turns then they could count, they finally made it to the big building Jamie's office was located inside.

"So we just carry the boxes up?" Grey asked, popping the trunk.

"We?" she asked, looking at him horrified. "I can't carry those. I could damage my manicure, or pull a strand in my shirt." Grey sighed, but didn't complain. He piled two of the boxes on top of each other and carried them in after Tiffany. The lobby was very pretty. It had a darker colour pallet, with blacks and browns, but the gold lining on the counter and up the walls added a nice touch. She walked over to the marble counter, and tapped the little bell that sat on it. The woman who was sitting right there looked up from her computer with a glare.

"May I help you?" she asked in a monotone voice.

"I have a meeting with Jamie Hardly," she said smoothly, leaning against the counter. "For 5:00pm. I'm Tiffany Lachwood." The woman turned her attention back to the computer and began typing.

"Yes, he's up on the 9th floor," she nodded. "I'll inform him that you have arrived."

"Thank you...what's your name?" Tiffany asked.

"Mildred," she replied, blinking blankly. "Why?"

"I'll be here a lot, so it's only polite that I know," she grinned, strutting for the elevators.

"Yous spent all this time designing clothes," Grey grunted, trying not to drop the boxes. "Yet for what? I mean, what are the dolls going to look like?"

"Oh Jamie and I discussed it already," Tiffany replied, stepping into the elevator when it arrived. "I'm going to have Wesley design the different MMMALORY dolls with long or short hair in a range of different colours so that they can still be styled. As well as of different ethnicity. It's going to be great. MMMALORY Dolls are going to take over Japan." Just as she said that, the boxes Grey were holding shook.

"Don't drop those," she snapped.

"There's something inside," he said, almost dropping them.

"How can there be something inside?" she demanded, looking at him incredulously. Just as the elevator opened, Grey dropped the boxes, and out burst her designs. But they weren't alone. Inside each dress was a faceless marionette, being controlled by strings that were attached to thin air. All at once they dispersed throughout the floor, sending the office into a state of chaos.

"What did you do to my outfits!" Tiffany screamed, whacking Grey with her purse.

"Nothing!" he shouted, flinching away when she swung again. "Geez, you have rocks in there?"

"Yes, yes I do," she growled, kicking him before jumping off of the elevator. The marionettes were attacking the workers, and destroying everything in sight. _Crap, crap, crap,_ she thought, trying to think of something to do.

"Watch out!" Grey shouted, pulling her out of the way of a swinging marionette with a stapler.

"My elbows!" she cried when she came into contact with the floor. "Everything is ruined! I'm never going to be a designer!"

"You designed those, so you are," Grey snapped, pulling her under a desk. "What the hell _are _those things?" Tiffany pulled out her Mew Phone and dialled the cafe.

"Hello, Cafe Mew Chi-"

"There are bewitched puppets dressed in my clothes, destroying Jamie Hardly's office, and i can't do anything about it!" she shouted into the phone before Wesley could finish.

"You need the girls?" he asked, sounding all business.

"Yes," she sniffed, tears spilling over.

"They are on their way," he said. "I'll turn on the homing signal in your phone. Just hang tight."

"Can't do much else," she sighed, hanging up.

"Who was that?" Grey asked, looking curious.

"My stress reliever," she groaned. It wasn't a lie. Whenever she was overwhelmed with stress, she called up Wesley randomly and shouted about it. He didn't seem to mind it at all, not that it would've mattered to her anyways. It was convenient that this time he could call in the cavalry when she couldn't reveal her identity.

"RRRR!" A marionette landed right next to them with a pair of scissors, open and pointed at them.

"Ahhh!" Tiffany screamed, climbing out from under the desk.

"Tiff!" a familiar voice called from across the room.

"Jamie!" Tiffany shouted, making a mad dash for him. She tripped over something, and just missed a paperweight that was thrown at her head.

"Darling what is going on?" Jamie crawled across the floor toward her.

"I don't know," she sniffed, trying to hold back tears.

"Are these your clothes?" he asked, covering his head as one of the glass walls of his main office was shattered.

"Yes, but I have no idea what's wearing them," she said apologetically.

"They are very well done darling," he complimented.

"Oh thank you," she gushed, just as a shout came from where she had come from. She looked up and saw Grey being attacked by a couple marionettes with pencils.

"Hey!" Tiffany shouted, jumping to her feet. She was pissed off now. She reached into her bag and grasped her pendent, but just as she did something pierced through her chest, dotting the floor with red.

\NMM.

AN: I've added a picture of Avious on my dA account, check it out on my profile.

\NMM/

_Preview of Chapter 15:_

_These are my Mewfessions_

*The room is pitch black*

*A single light is turned on and shines in the centre of the circle of chairs each mew is sitting in*

*Kita is controlling the light from above*

Kita – Confess!

Tiffany – Um, what exactly?

*The light falls on her*

Kita – Confess you don't really want to be with Shieru!

*light slides to Amaya*

Kita – Tell us your secret!

Amara - ...

*light moves to Patrick*

Kita – Confess your feelings!

Patrick – Uh, um...

*Kotona is now under the light*

Kita – Tell us all what you really think about us.

Kotona – What are you talking about?

Aneeta – Kita, I think you had too much sugar again.

*Light shines down on her*

Kita – Share why Eliot is dead then!


	15. Chapter 15: These Are my Mewfessions

AN: First-off, ignore the Preview from the last chapter. Totally didn't follow it. I realized what I was thinking of writing wasn't going to work, so I went another direction.

Second, from this chapter to chapter 21, they are gonna be personalized chapters, concentrating around one character per chapter. Really trying to work on owners of the current mews contact me to let me know what they would like me to touch on for their character's chapter.

Chapter 15

These Are My Mewfessions

"Do you have a plan?" Cotton Candy asked, struggling to keep up with the others' fast pace.

"Well, Wesley didn't tell us much," Plum replied, evading a couple birds. "So I say we just hurry in and try to contain the situation."

"How are we supposed to reach that?" Licorice shouted, pointing to the tall building that rose before them.

"Like this," Icing took Licorice's hand as they jumped the gap between buildings, and moved her other hand under her feet. "Jump." Licorice complied, pushing off of the other Mew's arm as she used her strength to launch her even farther. Licorice loved the sensation of soaring through the air, feeling the wind brush her face. Her enjoyment was short-lived, however, when she saw her collision course.

"Patrick!" she screamed, trying to change her direction. Avious looked down at the sound of his name, but wasn't prepared for the little Mew to collide with his stomach.

"Ah!" he grunted, trying to keep his wings steady. Licorice desperately grabbed onto his suit, not wanting to fall.

"Don't drop me!" she cried, fearing for her life.

"I-I got you," he stammered, holding onto her arms. "How'd you jump so high?"

"Amaya threw me," she replied, with a little hysteria. Avious looked over his shoulder, and saw that Icing was now being carried by Plum, who was struggling a bit.

"It's the 9th floor right?" Cotton Candy asked, ascending.

"Yup," Plum nodded, trying best not to lose grip on the older Mew.

"Just through me at the window," Icing instructed.

"Me too! Me too!" Licorice shouted, now quite excited.

"A-are you sure?" Avious questioned, feeling unsure himself.

"Yeah!" she grinned up at him. "I always wanted to try this!"

"On the count of three," Plum announced. "One.." Icing was already swinging toward the window, where they could see a chaotic scene with tiny dolls flying around. "Two..." Licorice was swinging with Avious' help, trying to stay in sync with Icing. "Three!" The winged Mews released their kin, sending them flying into the glass feet first. The events happening inside were momentarily halted as the sound of the shattering glass filled the air and the two girls in strange costumes sailed onto the floor, landing gracefully.

"It's those fashionable animal girls from the news!" a man shouted in excitement from under a desk. When the others flew in he quickly added, "and boy."

"I'll just blast them all away," Cotton Candy announced, summoning her Cottoncandy Rod.

"No," Icing warned. "You'll hurt the civilians." Cotton Candy's face fell as her idea was shot down. The marionettes then swarmed them, causing them to disperse.

"Tornado Chakrams!" Avious summoned his duo weapons, and threw them at a marionette, cutting it in half. That however didn't stop it. The two halves moved as two separate beings, and threw themselves at him.

"Help!" Licorice shouted desperately. She was only in the fray for a few seconds, and already 2 marionettes had her trapped, tied up by her own bangs. Icing quickly came to her rescue, slicing the arms off of the dolls. This didn't phase them at all, and the limbs began to slap her in the face. Icing screamed and flailed her sabre around wildly.

"Watch the hair, watch the hair!" Licorice cried, diving out of the way.

"How do we stop these things?" Plum shouted, roping up a couple with her nunchuck. They struggled against her hold, but couldn't break free. Icing managed to slice an arm free of it's string and it fell to the floor lifelessly.

"Cut them free of the strings!" she shouted, taking care of the other arms that attacked her. The other Mews complied, and the marionettes dropped like flies around them. Just as they were feeling a sense of relief, a deafening scream pierced through the air. Licorice cut a few more dolls down with a pair of scissors she had picked up, and hurried toward the person, freezing when she saw what happened. Cotton Candy was hovering over Greg, who was holding his bloody, balled-up shirt against the chest of a limp body that looked like Tiffany.

"Oh my god..." Plum gasped, her stomach becoming upset at the sight of all the bloody. "I-is she..."

"No, she's still breathing," Greg replied, looking distraught, "but we have to get her to a hospital." The Mew's looked at each other, and then to Plum, who was now throwing up in the nearest garbage can.

"Alright, Avious, you're the strongest and fasted. You take her to the hospital," Icing ordered, taking charge

"W-what?" Avious stammered, blinking in surprise.

"You have to hurry," Greg grunted, carefully picking her up and putting her in his arms.

"But w-what do I tell them happened?" he asked, feeling a bit uneasy about holding her.

"The truth!" Cotton Candy shouted hysterically. "There was another alien attack and she got stabbed! Now hurry!" Avious nearly dropped Tiffany when she yelled at him, but he hurried to the window and took off. The Mew and Greg stood in silence, unsure of what do with themselves. All around them the workers of the floor slowly came out of their hiding spots, looking warily at the fallen marionettes.

"You think she'll be okay?" Greg wondered, still unaware of their true identities.

"Yes...," Licorice sniffed. "She has to be." They stood for a few more moments in awkward silence, looking around at the destroyed floor. What made it even more awkward was when they realized all the workers were staring at them.

\NMM/

Amaya hated the hospital. The beeping of the machines, the smell of cleansers, and nurses running back and forth brought back horrible memories. But there she sat, along with the other Mew and Greg, in the waiting room while Tiffany was in surgery.

"You guys got here pretty fast," Greg said, not sounding suspicious.

"Well she called us," Kotona said, earning a warning nudge from Aneeta.

"Oh, she called you guy," he nodded, staring blankly at the floor. Not many word were shared as they waited impatiently for a doctor to give them some news. Patrick stood, leaning against the pop machine, Greg and Kita were pacing around the room, and Aneeta and Kotona sat with Amaya, who was trying to keep a calm exterior. They had called the cafe to tell Wesley, and he was shocked at what happened. He said that he wished he could be here with us, but he and Eliot were just barely keeping the cafe going without them. Aneeta had said she would come back to help, but Wesley told her not to worry and send Tiffany his love along with MAL's. Kotona had called her brother, and he came rushing in about a half hour later.

"How is she?" he demanded, breathing heavily as if he had ran the whole way there.

"She's still in surgery," Kotona replied, motioning for him to sit down. "We haven't heard anything yet."

"I hope she'll be okay," he sighed, his face exhausted with worry.

"And who are you?" Greg asked, folding his arms.

"Shieru, her boyfriend. And you?" he answered, making a face at him.

"Greg, a guy she's been seeing," he countered, standing up. "If you were really her boyfriend she would have mentioned you, and I doubt she would chase after me like she does." Shieru narrowed his eyes at him. "Has she even ever called you her boyfriend?"

"Of course!" Shieru snapped, but from the look on his face he didn't look all that confident.

"Guys, now's not the time for this," Kita said, stepping in between them. The two of them ignored her, and glared at each other over her head.

"Tell me, how much time has she spent with you lately?" Greg asked, putting his hands pockets. "Did she even tell you about starting her business meeting today? How she was-"

"Don't you dare suggest she's losing interest in me," Shieru shouted, his fists balling up.

"Well, ho much time _has _she spent with you?" he repeated, "because when she isn't working I've been hanging out with her."

"Hey." Amaya now jumped in between, holding Shieru back as he was about to swing a punch at him. "Both of you need to quit it. This is not the time or place." Kotona hopped up, and pulled on Shieru's arm.

"Come on," she whispered to him. "We'll go sit over here. Just ignore him." Shieru hesitated, continuing to glare at Greg, who returned it, but looked calmer. He then sighed, and followed his little sister to the other side of the room.

"Who does that guy think he is?" Greg demanded, sitting down.

"Well, she's been seeing him for awhile," Aneeta explained, not sure what else to say.

"Well she must not be all that interested anymore," he said, leaning his head in his hand. "She practically throws herself at me."

"She did that to Shieru too," she said, combing her fingers through her hair anxiously. Greg had his jaw clenched, and stared at the wall with a serious look on his face.

"Hes lying right?" Shieru asked Kotona when they sat down. "He's lying about Tiffany spending time with him right?" Kotona couldn't meet his eyes. She felt guilty not saying anything to him sooner. She hated seeing him hurt, especially since she was closest to him, and it was because of that bond that she should have kept warning him about Tiffany. Shieru sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"She has called me less and less...," he admitted quietly. "And she didn't tell me about the meeting...he was there wasn't he? He was there when she was attacked."

"...yes," Kotona nodded, staring at the floor. The room was filled with awkward silence, the two boys whose hearts she'd stolen barely moving while the group waited.

The silence was broken when the doors finally swung open, causing them all to jump in surprise. A woman dressed in a nice white blouse, purple skirt, with a matching scarf and a silver purse came into the room looking around anxiously.

"Mrs. Lachwood," Greg stood up and greeted the woman.

"That's Tiffany's mom?" Kita whispered to Aneeta. "I see where she gets her fashion sense from."

"Oh Greg, how is she?" the woman asked, looking at him expectantly.

"He met her mom too...," Shieru sighed, closing his eyes, not even sure if he wanted to be here anymore.

"I don't know," Greg admitted. "She's still in surg-" The other set of doors cut him off, a doctor now entering the room.

"Are there any relatives to Tiffany?" he asked, looking between them all.

"Yes!" Mrs. Lachwood replied, hurrying over to him. "Please tell me she's alright."

"The surgery was a success," the doctor smiled. "She's being moved to another room-"

"A private one I hope!" Mrs. Lachwood interrupted. "I expect nothing less for my Little Princess."

"Yes," the doctor nodded. "She-"

"What about other accommodations?" she demanded. "Tell me! I need to make sure she has the best you have to offer."

"Um, you can come with me then," the doctor said, wanting to put her at ease. "Please, this way."

"Thank you," she said, walking with him through the doors he came from. The Mews, along with Sheiru and Greg just sat there, watching them leave.

"Now what?" Kita asked, standing by Aneeta.

"We wait until we're allowed to see her," Aneeta replied, shifting in her seat.

\NMM/

Tiffany lay in her bed comfortably, thanks to all the demands her mother made. She had extra pillows, soft blankets and a TV playing in the background. It was awkward to move her arms, but she did so anyways. Nothing was going to keep her from sketching out new designs that had come to mind. The Mews had come in to talk with her a little while ago, the police after them and her mom before them. She didn't have to lie, but she did get over-dramatic. How could she not? Her life almost ended and she was going through post-traumatic stress. She told them exactly what happened. She went to the building to show off her designs to Jamie, when they came flying out being worn by possess marionettes, and she was stabbed in the chest. She of course left out trying to turn into a Mew when talking to the police.

She was sitting by herself now, listening to Katy Perry and sketching out a new dress idea. She was inf act sketching out dresses for all the Mews. She was also sketching them to match each Mews personality. She was so used to drawing just high fashion designs, that she decided to challenge herself. She was gonna also make them match their colours too, but she didn't want to cut corners. That's how she was getting through this. By making her creative juices flow. She was gonna get through this madness. She was.

She was surprised that neither Sheiru nor Greg came to see her. She was sure they cared about her enough to come see her. Greg was even there when she was stabbed. She didn't dwell too much on it though. She was more interested in the male nurse that tended to her. First guy in awhile she didn't have to chase after. He was drooling all over her, and treating her very well. No doubt he'd be asking her out once she was released from the hospital. She was gonna have to drop the other two also. She felt kind of bad about it. They were both nice guys, but she was getting bored. That's what always happened. She could never keep a guy for long, but she didn't mind. It kept life more interesting.

There was a light knock at the door, and her mom stepped in with a warm smile on her face. She came in with another bouquet of flowers, which she set next to the others.

"Another one from Daddy?" Tiffany asked with a pout.

"Yes," her mother nodded, sitting on the edge of her bed. "He says he's very sorry, but he'll come as soon as he can."

"I know," she smiled, turning over her sketch pad to show her what she was working on. "You like?"

"Hmm," her mother looked over it with a curious eye. "I don't know how you do it Tiffany, but you are one amazing designer. I mean, just look at the attention to detail, and the originality."

"Thank you," Tiffany giggled, placing it on her lap.

"I know I don't say it enough, but I'm very proud of you," her mother smiled, stroking her daughter's hair out of her face, "and your father is too."

"I know you are," Tiffany nodded. "I accomplish so much, how can I not make my parents proud?" Her mother just smiled at her.

"I don't just mean your designing," she said, patting her arm. "I mean, you manage to balance it with school, and work, and your friends and boyfriend. It's a lot for a girl your age."

"Don't forget all the fighting," Tiffany added with a huff.

"Fighting?" her mother repeated, lifting an eyebrow questioningly.

"...fighting bad hair," she made up quickly with a big grin. "Don't worry mom, it's nothing I can't handle. I enjoy doing it all."

"I understand, but do you ever consider, you know, taking a break?" her mother asked, looking hopeful.

"Well of course a break would be nice, but I'm so close to my big debut in the purse doll fashion world," Tiffany grinned, tapping her fingers excitedly. "Once I get my MAL line out, I wouldn't mind a break. You talking a vacation?"

"Yes," she nodded, looking a little disappointed. "I was actually thinking of the three of us going away for a week after you are released from the hospital. I mean, you should take all the rest you can get. I would actually like to spend more time with you."

"We spend lots of time together," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Not really," she sighed, flicking her bangs out of her eyes. "I only see you in the morning for breakfast. You have school, the cafe, and your blooming career. When you _are_ at home you are locked up in your room. I miss seeing you." Tiffany frowned. She _had_ been neglecting her mother lately. She'd been so busy with becoming a Mew, and meeting Jamie, and running her normal life that she _had _been neglecting her own mother. And with her father spending most of his time at work, he was barely at home with her too. She was leaving her mother completely alone at home! How horrible!

"Okay mom," she nodded, taking her hand in hers. "I'll take the week off, and I'll spend every moment with you. I'll also make sure to set aside special everyday for you." Her mom smiled, and squeezed her hand.

"That will make me very happy," she sighed, "and your father said he can take the week off as well. He' overdue for a vacation."

"Great," she giggled. "It'll be nice having us all together."

"You can bring your boyfriend too," her mother suggested. "Are you still dating Shieru? Or are you seeing Greg now?" Tiffany huffed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Can we just go as us family?" she asked. "I mean, I guess I'm technically still seeing Sheiru, and Greg is really great, but I don't want either of them anymore." Her mom was the only person she could admit these things to. Sure she had her group of girl friends that she talked to about almost everything dealing with guys, but she felt her mom was the only one who didn't judge her for her decisions.

"I understand dear," she smiled, patting her shoulder. "I would like you to try for a long-distance relationship sometime soon though. You meet a lot of wonderful boys, and quite a few I can see as a future son-in-law." She grinned teasingly.

"Oh mom," she groaned, shifting her position. "I'm only 17, and I'm focusing on a proper career. Plus you know how bored I get of boys."

"Yes, yes I do," she nodded, "but you have been seeing Sheiru for a lot longer than any other boy you have dated. Maybe the next one will be longer?"

"Nah, the only reason I held out so long was because he's the brother of Kotona, one of the girls I work with," Tiffany explained, "but it's gotta end. I need a new handsome face to follow me around." Her mom just nodded understandingly.

"How about we get you some food okay?" she suggested, reaching for the phone.

"Sounds great," Tiffany agreed. "I'm starving."

\NMM/

A week went by slowly, but things went on normally outside the walls of Tiffany's hospital room. The Mews ran the cafe and battled more bad guys. Her girl group still chased after boys and brought her notes for school, and the sun rose and set, ever so slowly. She was _so_ bored. Sure she sketched, but there was only so much sketching someone could do. She wanted to get out of her unfashionable gown and slip on her stiletto pumps. She wanted to strut the streets, making heads turn. She needed to get _out!_

The visits were nice. The Mew cycled with Wesley and MAL to come see her. Each day at least one of them popped in to see how she was doing. Her gal pals were up every single day, delivering her the daily gossip, homework she didn't plan on ever finishing, helping her keep her hair in check, and making sure she had a proper stash of fashion magazines. Her mom was practically always at her side, and her dad came and visited every couple days. Right now, however, she was alone, and she couldn't take it anymore. She got up out of bed, carefully, because she didn't want to pull her stitches and cause scarring, slipped on her slippers and went out into the hall for a walk.

It was late evening, and there was barely any movement on her floor. It was a floor of fancy private rooms for those who could afford it. She was glad she was given a gown that wasn't open in the back. She walked a moderate pace around the floor, humming songs to herself. Visiting hours were over, so there were no extra voices travelling down the hall. Shieru and Greg still hadn't come to see her. She was gonna break it off with both of them when they did show up, but if they didn't, she was just gonna have to settle with sending them a text. She didn't want to. She wanted to show she had more respect than that, but they were leaving her no choice.

The elevator sounded, and the doors opened onto the floor. She fluffed her hair, hoping it was the cute guy nurse, but to her surprise it was Shieru, with a bouquet of pink roses. He was surprised to see her in the hallway too, and looked caught off guard.

"H-hi," he said, clearing his throat.

"Hey," she grinned, turning on her charm. "It's about time you came to see me."

"Sorry...," he hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "I brought you these. Hoping you'll forgive me."

"Apology accepted," she nodded, taking the flowers happily, and breathing in their beautiful scent. "My rooms down this way." She walked back the way she came, Shieru followed behind her, not saying anything. Tiffany took the flowers she received from her dad out of the vase she already had and replaced them with Shieru's.

"So-," she began, arranging the flowers, but Shieru cut her off.

"Is there something between you and Greg?" he asked, jumping right to the point. Tiffany looked at him surprise. When she did see more than one guy at once, she was really good at making sure they never crossed paths, but her incident was their crossing point.

"I thought there was something blooming," Tiffany admitted with a sigh, "but no. He's too 'me, me, me'."

"...and us?" he hesitated, but looked her straight in the eye. Tiffany huffed, pulling her hair behind her ears.

"Yeah...I'm sorry but I think-" again she was interrupted, and she didn't like it.

"Don't use a line," he said firmly. "Just tell me straight up."

"Fine, I lost interest in you," she snapped, putting her hands on her hips. She never lost her cool when breaking up with someone, but she supposed there was a first for everything. "I'm not saying this next stuff as a 'line'," she made air quotes as she spoke, "but you are a cool, and I would like to stay acquaintances with you."

"Acquaintances?" he repeated, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Like I wouldn't really go out of my way to meet up with you, but be fine to talk with you when I did happen to see you." Shieru just shook his head. Thinking what she was gonna say through wasn't her forte.

"Alright then," he nodded. "I'm glad you're okay though."

"It'll take more than some aliens to take me down," she grinned, radiating overconfidence.

"Goodbye Tiffany," he said, leaving abruptly. Tiffany blinked in surprise and hurried to her door to watch him leave.

"Bye...," she said, a little too quietly, unsure if he actually heard her. The elevator arrived, and to her surprise, Shieru took one last look in her direction with a half smile before getting into the elevator. _That was easier than I thought,_ Tiffany thought, going back to her bed. She picked up her phone, ready to text Greg and tell him that she wasn't into him, but he actually beat her to it.

"_I don't think it's gonna work out between us. Get well soon."_

Tiffany's eye twitched as she read over again. Just down the hall a nurse dropped her coffee scream came from down the hall.

"NO ONE BREAKS UP WITH ME BEFORE I DO!"

\NMM/

AN: Yeah, I'm not gonna do chapter previews for a little while, but I will post the name of the next chapter.

_Next_

Chapter 16

The Mew Come Out...Tomorrow


	16. Chapter 16: The Mew Come Out Tomorrow

AN: Looking over the entry sheet for Kotona that Amethyst Bryony had entered, I realized that she is a good deal OOC, so I did my best to smooth her into how she is supposed to be, and give a valid explanation as to why she was OOC. Lol Hope I did her justice.

Enjoy.

Chapter 16:

The Mew Come Out...Tomorrow

The week passed without any unusual activity, much to the Mew's content. Finals were coming up, and they had to study. Well, they all studied except for Tiffany. When she was finally released from the hospital, she went away with her parents. If they weren't running around the cafe, trying to keep things in order, they were in their study groups. Aneeta studied in the library with Amara and James, and with Patrick a few times. He mostly studied though with his classmate Katsu. Kita tried studying, but she mostly played on her computer, writing or reading stories. The one who studied the hardest, was Kotona.

Since it was final season, her parents were coming down on her harder. She got up early and studied before breakfast and going to school. She studied at lunch, and right after school until she went to bed. She wished she could study with others, but her parents felt it would only distract her from her studies to be with others. She even skipped some shifts at the cafe to fit in as much studying as she could.

This, of course, spark another infamous argument between Shieru and their father. He hated how they constantly drove her to study, and suck all the fun out of her life. Shieru always fought with their father, about almost everything. It was like they were to north magnets and constantly repelled each other. He was good with their mom though. Kotona didn't really understand because she urged Kotona to study almost as much as her father did. It was probably because it _wasn't_ as much that keep him from blowing up on her.

Because of the fighting, Shieru liked to run away a lot. She never really told anyone that, wasn't really any of their business, but whether at night or broad daylight, he would storm out of the house, running down the street, and stay away until the next day, or wait til the week was out to come home. Sometimes she wished he'd take her too. She was curious about what he did when he left. He never told her when he got back. He just acted like nothing happened. She thought it was kind of immature to run away from the problem all the time, but she didn't want to point fingers because she could be immature as well.

That evening, she was almost done studying for the night, when she heard the argument. She couldn't study when they yelled, so she put down her pencil and decided to call it a night. She got into her pyjamas and climbed into bed, pulling her covers up to her chin. She didn't expect to fall asleep anytime soon. The yelling kept her up not only because they were loud, but she was just so curious to hear what they were gonna say.

She lay there, occasionally, looking at her clock, taking note of how long they were going at it for. To her surprise, it only lasted about twenty minutes, and instead of hearing the front door burst open, there were stomps up the stairs, and Shieru's bedroom door slammed. _That's different,_ she thought to herself, closing her eyes, ready to sleep. She then heard her doorknob slowly turn, then someone entered, closing the door quickly behind them.

"Wake up Kid," the person shuffled over to her bedside and flicked her forehead.

"Sh-Shieru?" she stammered, opening her eyes in surprise. He had a serious look on his face.

"Get changed, quickly," he ordered, moving over to the window.

"W-what?" she asked, sitting up.

"Come _on_," he urged, prying it open, allowing the cool night air to flow in. Confused, Kotona jumped out of bed, and hurried to her closet.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" she asked again, turning her back to him.

"We're going out," he answered, keeping his back to her.

"B-but it's late," she objected, still changing, "and my shoes are still downstairs." He kicked a pair of shoes my way.

"Brought 'em on my way up," he replied.

"So you're running away, and you're taking me this time?" Kotona wondered, now tying her hair up into her ponytails.

"You wanna get left behind?" He was now climbing out the window, and balancing himself on the roof.

"Wait!" she gasped, shoving her shoes on and grabbing an extra sweater. She hurried to the window, and with his help, she climbed out and onto the roof. She felt a jolt of adrenaline. She'd never done something this daring before. She was actually kind of scared. She wasn't sure how much trouble she was going to get in, but wasn't the point of doing something like this, to throw away worry and regard and just do it? She wasn't one to do that, but she might as well now. Shieru closed the window behind them, and scooted to the edge of the room that aligned with the fence.

"Come on," he called quietly, flipping himself over as he put his feet on the fence. With ease, he lowered himself and grabbed onto the fence, lowering himself to the ground. Kotona scooted to the edge, and stared down warily.

"U-um," she stammered, looking at the distance to the ground. "Th-that's far..."

"It's okay, just aim for getting onto the fence," he instructed. "If anything goes wrong I'll catch you."

"What if that goes wrong as well?" she asked, moving slowly. She turned her self around so her stomach was on the roof, and her feet dangled off the side. Her feet touched the fence, and this is where she got scared. How was she going to keep her balance? How was she going to grab onto the fence? She froze with panic, not even sure if she could pull herself back up.

"Oh come on Kid," Shieru huffed impatiently. "Just jump."

"What?" she hissed down at him. "Are you crazy?"

"Not as crazy as you just standing there," he said, holding his arms out. "Come on, you're stuck, and at this rate mom and dad will find out you're gone before we get down the block."

"How will they know?" she asked, gripping onto the roof hard.

"They check on you throughout the night," he shrugged.

"What?" Kotona gasped, losing her grip. She lost balance and teetered off of the fence, but on the side of where Shieru was standing on. She squeaked with flailing arms as she fell and landed in the bushes on the side of their house.

"Shit, you okay?" Shieru ran around the fence quickly and saw her just laying there in shock.

"Y-yeah...," she moaned, trying to gather herself. _Why couldn't I have cat DNA?,_ she thought.

"We gotta hurry," he urged, grabbing her arm and helping her out of the bushes. "They for sure heard that. We gotta run now."

"Man," Kotona huffed when she finally got to her feet, still feeling shaken._ I'm definitely feeling this in the morning,_ she thought, just as Shieru pulled her into a sprint down their driveway and down the street.

\NMM/

Shieru didn't speak much. They had ran for a couple blocks before turning and slowing down to a walk. Their only light came from the street lamps that were pretty spaced out. They had walked for quite a few blocks, and no words were exchanged. Kotona felt thrilled She had run away from home with her brother. She had to admit, it wasn't as she imagined. She also envisioned her brother either fleeing to a friends house to stay up late playing video games, or running off to a secret location that was kind of a headquarters for him and his friends when they run away. So far, there was none of that, just silent walking.

"So, um, where are we going Shieru?" Kotona asked, figuring there was no harm in it.

"No where in particular," he shrugged.

"Where do you usually go when you runaway?" she asked, hoping that she'd get the answer she was looking for.

"I don't really go anywhere," he shrugged. "I go where my feet carry me. Sometimes the park, sometimes just across town and back. Nothing special." Kotona's heart fell, along with all of her childhood fantasies about her brothers runaway adventures. She stared down at the ground in disappointment. She couldn't believe that he did absolutely nothing on his ventures into the city at night. There had to be something he did while he walked around aimlessly.

"So you just...walk around?" she wondered, kicking at a stone.

"Yup," he nodded, then looked down at her in amusement. "You figured I had wild adventures didn't you?"

"Of course!" Kotona shouted, throwing her arms up into the air. "I mean, you ran away all the time, and I always wanted to come because I figured you were out having fun with your friends and doing crazy stuff. I didn't expect just...walking."

"I do more than walk," Shieru informed her, looking on ahead again.

"Really?" she said, her hopes rising once more.

"I think," he nodded, his hands deep in his pockets.

"That's boring," she huffed, her shoulders sagging. She didn't want to just walk and think. She wanted to do something crazy and out of the ordinary. Sure fighting aliens was crazy, and out of the ordinary, but it kind of became her ordinary, and she couldn't share that with her brother. She wanted to do something and share it with her brother, just like she always imagined.

"Well, the reason I leave the house unexpectedly a lot is so I can cool down and keep myself from doing something I'll regret," he explained. "I come out here to the quiet, and get away from everything that bothers me, and think. Think out everything, and it helps me to settle down, so I can take on my problems carefully."

"What kind of problems?" Kotona decided to venture. Since he wasn't alone today, and she really didn't have things to mull over, he might as well talk to her. "I mean, besides dad." He hesitated, biting his lip.

"Well, uh...," he said, searching for a way to begin. "There's, uh, Tiffay." He cleared his through as if he had choked on her name. "She called it off."

"Yeah, I know," she nodded, her face calling. Tiffany had practically bragged about it when she showed up at the cafe the day before she left with her parents.

"Said she wanted to be 'acquaintances',"he explained, using air quotes. "Who _says_ something like that? I mean, she said she wouldn't go out of her way to see me and crap."

"She's brutally honest that one," Kotona nodded. "You can do better. Really, she doesn't care about any guys she sees. She just wants to have fun and play with people's feelings."

"It bothered me at first," he shrugged, not really caring, "but there's no point in lingering really. I think she is just too stupid to realize that she is a nice person deep down." Kotona blinked in surprise.

"How so?" she wondered curiously.

He shrugged to himself, but he was thinking of the time when she ate that hamburger, even though she hated meat, just to make him smile. Kotona thought about it herself, and figured she had a few nice moments, but they were often ruined by the insult that goes along with her advice. Like when she gives fashion advice, and says something mean about the part of your body she's trying to help you fix, or when...well most of what she did or said was about fashion, so any incident she could think of had to do with just that in some way.

"You know what," Shieru spoke up, catching her off guard. "There is some place we could go."

"Really?" she squealed, jumping once to show her excitement.

He smiled at her reaction, and patted her shoulder. "Yup," he nodded. "It's just down this street." He veered left, and jogged across the street, and Kotona hurried after him excitedly.

\NMM/

The place Shieru had talked about was a bar. Yes, a real bar, where people go to drink alcohol and under-aged kids weren't allowed. However, the place was actually closed on weekdays, and Shieru went to the back of the establishment, and knocked on the back door. Kotona's eyes darted around the back alleyway, feeling anxious. This was actually the kind of thing she envisioned her brother doing every single time he ran away. She never expected it to be a bar. Maybe an old warehouse or something, but not a bar.

The door then opened, and a middle-aged man with greying hair and a chubby face stood in the doorway. He glared down at the siblings, causing Kotona to flinch and hide behind her brother. Shieru stood at his full height, and was actually grinning at the man. "Sorry to come by so late Hiroshi," he said. "You wouldn't mind a meal for two would ya? This is my sisters first expedition." Kotona glanced up at him again nervously, and his face had broken out into a huge grin.

"I was hoping you'd never corrupt her with your was," the man laughed, looking amused, "but looks like it was inevitable. I start whipping up your usual." He opened the door wider, and allowed them to enter, Kotona staying right on Shieru's heels. The pace was empty, but music flowed from the speakers, and the area of pool tables had lights still on.

"Come on." Shieru pushed her over to the pool tables as the man went behind the bar and disappeared into the back.

"Who is that?" she asked, looking after him curiously.

"That's Hiroshi," he replied, taking down two cue sticks down. "He runs the place. He's the father of a friend at school. I come here sometimes if I don't need to think a lot. And since I have you, might as well show you that I have _some_ fun."

"Shieru!" Kotona jumped at the sound of the voice, and turned to see who it was, awkwardly holding her cue stick. It was a boy, he looked to be the same age as Shieru. He had blonde hair that was pull back into a short ponytail, and green eyes.

"Yuu," Shieru grinned, punching him in the shoulder when he came up to him. "How's it going?"

"Me?" he laughed, punching him back. "What about you? You should be studying for tomorrows math test."

"Pfft, like I'd have any chance of passing even with studying," he grinned, the pointed at Kotona with his stick. "This is my little sister, Kotona."

"Ah, the infamous Lil' Shi," he grinned, holding his hand out to shake hers. "He's told me a lot about you. I knew one day he'd drag you along on one of his getaways." Kotona just held onto her stick, looking down at the floor uncomfortably. You'd think after hanging out with the other Mews for so long she'd be used to talking to other people.

"And of course, shy," Yuu smiled understandingly. "You going to teach her how to pool?" He turned his attention back to Shieru.

"Of course," he grinned. "Taught her everything else fun she knows. First lesson is how to hold this right." He put down his cue stick, and took the one in Kotona's hands, and showed her the proper position to hold it, and started giving hints about how to get the best possible results in different situations, with input from Yuu. She nodded, and listened intently, mimicking what he says and shows her.

She had hoped she'd gotten better with talking to new people, but she couldn't help but feel awkward around them. The Mews were the biggest exception. She found it weird at first, but she had realized it was because they were a team. The only time she felt comfortable with people, and like to get out there and help take charge, was when she was on a sports team. Her time in gym class was always her shining moments. When she was put on a team, and was ready to play the sport for that day, she was ready. She was lose, and not afraid of the other students. She actually took charge and helped her teammates focus on what they were good at.

The Mews were just that, a team. It didn't happen right away, but soon after she joined was when she felt comfortable with them, even if they butted heads, especially with Tiffany. That's what happened in real life, with teammates, with friends. There were good times and bad, and by having the team 24/7, instead of just for one period a day, she was able to get to know more about them then just what part of the team they played best on. She got to know them, and their personalities. She still didn't know much about Patrick or Amaya because they were newer, but she looked forward to it. They became more than teammates to her, to her surprise, and more like family. A family with issues, but could be overlooked in order to enjoy their lives and do what they had to do.

The three of them were in a game of pool not long after Shieru explained the basics of the game. Kotona wasn't that great at hitting the balls with the cue stick. It often veered to one side, or she couldn't put enough power behind her hit. She was having fun though. Yuu's father had made them a huge plate of nachos covered with cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes and ground beef. She ate a few in between her turns, and remained comfortably quiet as the two older boys talked.

"So why'd you run this time?" Yuu asked, after hitting a solid coloured ball into a corner pocket.

"The classic," Shieru shrugged, munching on a chip. "It's exam time, and they are pushing Kotona too much."

"It's about time you brought her though," he said, smiling at Kotona, causing her to look away. "If anyone needed to escape the house it's her. She's the one being forced to slave away. Does she ever fight with your parents?"

"She tries to at least negotiate, but not much else," he replied, picking up his stick as Yuu missed. "She likes to please them, so she doesn't argue." She didn't like them talking about her while she sat right there, but she couldn't get herself to speak up yet. It was true she didn't like fighting with her parents, and wanted them to be proud of her, but it was getting very tiring. It was beginning to feel like no matter how hard she studied, it didn't please them as much as she thought it would. She got straight A's, and her parents only gave her a 'continue to do better'. It was getting hard to do better when she was already the student with the second highest marks in her class. Sure she could strive for first, but she was just so tired of it. Yuu was right about her needing to get away.

"Your turn Kid." Shieru waved a hand in her face to get her attention. She came back from her day dream, and hopped off the stool she had been sitting on. It was very late. She didn't know exactly how late, but it felt late. Her eyes were beginning to sting with exhaustion. She wasn't used to staying up so late, and actually wanted to curl up in her bed and sleep. She looked at the table, not exactly sure what kind of shot she could hope to make.

"If you try and bounce the cue ball off the wall, you can pink the orange ball in the corner pocket," Yuu suggested. "You'll have to hit it at the right angle of course." Angles. Hah! She was an expert on angles. She was just worried she wouldn't be able to hit the ball with enough force. She took his suggestion and lined up her stick with the white ball, judging the proper angle to hit it at carefully. The boys were surprisingly quiet, and it made her more anxious. She took in a slow breath, and then hit the ball. She managed to hit it dead on, and it bounced off the wall, and collided with the orange ball. Just as she feared, however, she didn't hit it hard enough, and the ball stopped just short of the hole.

Kotona huffed in frustration, and turned to return to her stool, just as she heard a familiar sound. "Hey look, the ball fell in!" Kotona turned back to the table, and saw it had indeed fell into the pocket, but Yuu was standing in arms length, and he could have easily knocked it in. He and Shieru just stood there with groofy grins.

"Nice shot Kid," Shieru nodded, shoving another nacho in his mouth. "Go ahead and take another shot." She wanted to protest, but she didn't want to ruin the friendly atmosphere, so she went for another shot.

\NMM/

Kotona had decided to sit out the next game and just sit on a couch and watch. It wasn't soon after that, she decided to rest her head, and then fall right to sleep. She wasn't sure if she dreamed or not, but she woke up, still on the couch, but covered with a blanket. Her first thought was, _Holy crap! I have school! I need to get home! _ She shot up into a sitting position, and nearly stepped on Shieru when she swung her legs over the side. He was laying on the floor with a blanker and a small pillow under his head. She looked around to make sure Yuu wasn't around and she softly nudged him with her foot.

He groaned, and squinted up at her. "What are you doing?" he demanded, rolling over.

"I have school!" she protested, putting her feet on him. "We have to go home."

"It's only five," he sighed after looking at his watch, "and I already went home and got your things." She blinked down at him in bewilderment.

"Y-you...you went home and got my stuff?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock.

"Yes, so you wouldn't have to deal with the raging parents in the morning," he grunted, tossing her feet off of him with little effort. "Now go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when it's time to go."

"B-but...," she pulled at her ponytails uncomfortably. "You left me here alone! In a strange place!"

"You weren't alone," Shieru mumbled, burying his face into his pillow. "Yuu staid and watched you."

Kotona's face burned bright red, a mix of embarrassment and anger and she flung her arms out. "You left me alone with a stranger?" Groaning impatiently, her brother sat up and gave her a stern look.

"Okay kid, I understand you don't like being around other people and stuff, but Yuu is my friend, and I trust him enough to leave you with him," he said, rubbing his eyes. "And you not talking at all was kind of rude, and a bit childish. Like I said, I understand you are awkward around people, but try to make an effort. I mean, he's one of my closest friends. Try to be more...polite. It's kind of immature, but and I ask you to please do that? You didn't even thank Hiroshi for making the food."

Kotona sat silently, mulling over what he said. It was true. She didn't thank Hiroshi, or seem to pay Yuu any attention. She didn't even speak to her own brother out of fear of the other shearing her. It was very childish of her to do, and she should really try to work and get out of the habit. She sighed and looked at her brother apologetically.

He smiled in response, already knowing what she was thinking. "It's okay Kotona. Tomorrow's a new day, a new slate. That's what I tell myself every time I take off. It's a new chance to make things right. Don't let the mistakes of yesterday ruin your tomorrow."

She nodded, feeling a bit of inspiration from his words, she laid back down, and fell asleep for a few more hours before Shieru woke her up, just like she promised. She changed in the bathroom, and had a nice breakfast made Hiroshi. She honestly did try to say thank you, but settled for a big smile and eye contact, hoping it showed her gratitude. He smiled in return, and cleaned up their plates when they were done.

She, Shieru and Yuu all walked to school together, the boys of course talking the whole way. Mostly about video games, but they talked about the latest games in sports as well.

"Have a good day Kotona," Shieru said, patting her on the head when they reached her school. She nodded at him, and looked at Yuu who was smiling.

"Nice meeting you," he said, raising his hand to wave.

Kotona nodded again, and turn to left "...Bye," she spoke in the quietest voice, then hurried off to the school's front doors.


	17. Chapter 17: Setting Mew Roots

_AN: ...What is this?_

Chapter 17:

Setting Mew Roots

Boredom. It may sound odd to say, but the city was a boring place. Coming from the rural land of Connecticut, Patrick found the city to be Dullsville. Sure there were big shopping malls, movie theatres, and arenas and such, but that wasn't what he was used to doing. From the crack of dawn, til the setting sun, he was always doing something. If it wasn't chores, he was riding horses at his neighbours house, helping them out with handy work as payment, or working on cars at his uncle's garage. He would also practice his marksmanship and rock climb. Anything that had to do with the great outdoors, he could do, if not, he'd learn.

But in the city, there was none of that. Instead of open plains, that gave you the feel of freedom and solitude, you had crowded paved street with skyscaping buildings that gave the country boy a slight feel of claustrophobia. Instead of seeing the daily friendly, familiar faces everyday, you were bombarded with new ones at every turn, hundreds of them, and most of them not friendly at all. It just wasn't the same. He missed his life back home, with his friends and family, but now he was here, in a foreign country across the world where he knew no one, and could just get by with speaking their language.

Sighing, Patrick rolled over on his bed, and stared up at the ceiling of his small room. That was another thing he didn't like. Instead of a nice big house they used to own, they lived in an apartment. It wasn't a cheap small one, but it didn't have anything on the two-story house he grew up in. His room barely contained any of his old belongings. He couldn't take them all with him, so he brought a few sentimental items. The switch to the first lawnmower he tried fixing for his mom, a photo album full of pictures, and a set of reigns his neighbours had given him. He wasn't sure he'd get to use the reigns anytime soon, but they were an expensive brand and he wasn't just gonna get rid of them.

A high-pitched bark came from out his door, and there was a small thunk as something came into the door, followed by a few more energetic barks. Patrick smiled and rolled out of bed to open the door and allowed the black lab puppy to run inside and attack his leg. He dropped to the floor, and rubbed the excited puppies head as she jumped up at him, licking his face. She was only a few months old, one of the few things they actually got to bring with them. Her name was Midnight Shadow, and he didn't like leaving her in the baggage area of the plane.

"Did you go for your walk yet?" he asked, scratching under her chin. She yipped, and sprinted out the door. He chuckled and got up. "I'll take that as a 'no' or a 'please take me out again'." He slipped on his shoes and got Midnight's leash from the closet. She was practically jumping out of her skin. She enjoyed walks more than anything. _I can relate_, he thought hooking on the leash and allowed the dog to lead him out of the apartment.

\NMM/

He had the day off from both the cafe and the rebuilt garage. He had offered to work more at both places, but Eliot fussed about him making too much money, even though he was fussing just before that about how they didn't work enough. Patrick just shook his head at him. He made no sense, and recently he made even less sense. He had walked Midnight through the park earlier that day, and decided to take her to the garage. Sure he didn't work, but he was bored, and wanted to see if Katsu was around. Midnight tugged him the entire way, sniffing at poles and people, and even a couple of other dogs. One of which ran from her because it was scared by her energy.

Since being rebuilt, the garage's business hadn't been so good. People were skeptical about the place, and were unsure if another attack would take place. If anything the cafe should been the business suffering since it was their van to begin with, but it was through the connections of that garage that Eliot came to obtain the van, so the weight of the suspicion fell on the garage. As they approached, Patrick could see Katsu working on his car in off to the side, while other works worked on the couple cars that were in the shop. Midnight barked, and tugged, catching Katsu's attention. He rolled out from under the car, his face and forearms smeared with grease.

"Oh hey Patrick," he greeted, sitting up. "Who's this?"

"Midnight," he replied, as the pup jumped onto Katsu's lap and licked his face. "Thought she could use another walk."

"She's adorable," he grinned, but tried avoiding the dogs tongue so she didn't lick the grease on his face. "How old?"

"Just 4 months," he answered, squatting down. "What you working on?"

"What haven't I been working on?" Katsu sighed, rubbing Midnight's head. "I've had to fix the fuel line, breaks, replace the battery, you name it. Just when think it's finished and ready to take out on the road, I find something else wrong with it."

"Don't worry, it'll happen," Patrick said encouragingly, "and when it does, you'll feel proud of all the work you put into it."

"Since I put in a lot of work, I better be a lot of proud," he chuckled.

"Katsu!" one of the works called. "Your dad wants to see you!"

"Probably wants me go pick up something," he groaned, getting up. "If that's the case, did you wanna come along?"

"Sure," Patrick shrugged. "What does he want you to pick up?"

"You'll see," he grinned hurrying into the building.

\NMM/

"Patrick!" Kotona greeted when he and Katsu walked through the door. "I thought today was your day off."

"It is," he replied with a smile. "Katsu hear wants to pick up an order."

"It's for Gawdo Auto," Katsu nodded.

"Oh, right the car shop," she nodded. "I'll go see if it's ready." While she went to go ask Wesley, Patrick took a peek outside to check on Midnight. He had tied her to a tree outside. She was laying on the floor whining, the leash stretched as far as it could go.

"Did you get her while still in America?" Katsu asked, noticing where he was looking.

"Yeah, my parents got me her to soften the blow of moving," he replied.

"Didn't wanna come huh?" he wondered. "Can't imagine leaving everything behind."

"I'm doing okay," he shrugged. "Homesick a lot though. I talked to my friends online when I can, it's kind of hard with the time difference."

"Why _did _you move? If you don't mind me asking."

"Mom got offered a better job here," he replied, then froze when he caught sight of Amaya emerging from the kitchen with Kotona, carrying boxes. Amaya only glanced at him once, the put down the box and walked away. He felt a sting, and confused. He didn't know why she hated him so much. He didn't do anything. She never spoke to him, barely talked to him, and kept a distance from him. He wanted to know why, but she carried a strong air of intimidation. He thought she was pretty from the first moment he saw her, but he couldn't talk to her. Not just because of how she treated him, but because he was just downright horrible at talking to girls, especially ones he found pretty.

"That your girlfriend?" Katsu teased in a quiet voice.

"N-no," he stammered, looking away, trying to hide his face.

"Um, here you are," Kotona announced, finally bringing the boxes over. She was a little confused as well, but didn't look all that surprised. The others were catching onto how Amaya was treating Patrick. As Katsu paid Patrick caught sight of Wesley waving from the kitchen. Patrick lifted his hand in greeting.

"I thought Amaya didn't work Saturdays," Patrick brought up. He knew everyone's schedule.

"She just showed up and said she was working," Kotona shrugged. "Eliot tried to tell her otherwise, but she ignored him."

"There's a cute puppy outside!" Patrick jumped when Kita popped out of nowhere, scaring the crap out of him. "It's so cute!"

"Kita, you're here too?" Kotona asked, looking confused. "You don't work today either."

"No, but my family decided to come for a snack," she grinned. "Also they wanted to make sure this place was legit. They still iffy about me working, and I wanted them to meet Eliot and Wesley. Why are you here Patrick?" She looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

"Um, just picking up cupcakes," he answered, pointing to Katsu who was now carrying the boxes.

"You didn't tell them Midnight was your dog?" Katsu asked.

Kita's eyes widen into large orbs. Larger than Patrick thought possible. "That's your dog?! Oh she's so cute! OMG!" She continued to ramble and squeal over his dog in fast Japanese, and he wasn't able to make out exactly everything she was saying.

"Perhaps you can bring her over one time and she can play with Makoto?" Aneeta suggested, walking by with trays in her hands.

"Or the park!" Kita shouted. "We should all hang in the park sometime! We can have a picnic! You guys can bring your dogs! And we'll have MAL! Oh it'll be so much fun!" The girls chatted about their options for times, days and where, and Patrick just observed. They had a diverse dynamic, but managed to work well.

"Patrick," Eliot had come out of the kitchen and was hailing him over. "Need to talk to you."

"Oh," Patrick said, looking surprised. He looked to Katsu who was edging toward the door.

"It's okay man, you go ahead," he said, with a smile. "I gotta go get these back to my dad. Thanks for stopping by though."

"Yeah, sure," he nodded. "See you at school." Once Katsu was out the door, he walked around the girls still chatting at the podium and walked toward Eliot.

"Get back to work!" Eliot yelled at them as Patrick approached. "Out back." He motioned with his hand and led the way out behind the store. There the van they had used for their first and only catering job was sitting.

"You finally got it back?" Patrick asked, looking at it. The police had confiscated it for further investigation, but they couldn't get anything from it, and there wasn't really anything they could really do anyways. Aliens were _way_ out of their league.

"Yeah, but the jerks kept everything under the hood," Eliot groaned, popping it open. Patrick looked inside, and sure enough, there was nothing in it. "I need you to get it back in working order."

"Wait, what," Patrick asked, looking at him incredulously. "There's _nothing_ in there. I'd have to get all the parts, before I can even start working on it."

"Then I'll give you the money you need for the parts," Eliot replied. "Instead of being in the cafe, you can work out here, and I'll pay you the same."

"Kick my hourly pay up a couple bucks and you got a deal," Patrick negotiated, folding his arms. Eliot eyed him. Patrick wasn't so sure he'd go for it. He'd want to go for the cheapest route possible, but really the cheapest option was to just get a new van. He asn't sure why Eliot wanted to keep this thing, especially after being stripped.

"Deal," Eliot said, to his surprise. The two of them shook on it "Take a look at it now, and then email me the parts you need tonight. I'll have them ready for you tomorrow."

"Okay," Patrick nodded. "I'll just go get my dog. Left her out front." Eliot went back inside while Patrick walked all the way around the building. It wasn't that big, and he really didn't want to walk through the crazy dinning room again. He didn't mind working here...okay he kinda did. He wasn't good with talking to people, and it was always crowded with giggling girls who always requested him. And it always got noisy, especially on weekends.

He made his way around, but hesitated when Midnight came into view. She was still there, hooked around the tree he left her at, but she was playing with someone. Someone he didn't expect. It was Amaya. She was knelt down, petting Midnight's head and back and giggling. That's right giggling. She had a smile, small but a smile, on her face, and her eyes looked so gentle. He was surprised to see this side of her. He'd kind of seen it once, in that dream at the banquet, but that was just a dream. This was real. He didn't want to interrupt, but didn't want to just stand there, so he backed up to go back to the van, but Amaya had already caught sight of him.

She instantly tensed, and her smile was gone. Midnight looked confused when she shot to her feet and marched toward the front door.

"Wh-what's your problem?" Patrick found himself blurting. He didn't realize what he was saying until they had already left his mouth. Amaya hesitated, but didn't look at him. He had her attention now, and he felt his throat run dry. "I-I've...I've done nothing to you...Why do you hate me?" His heart was pounding, as he stood there and just watched for a response. Anything. Midnight whined and tugged at the leash, and Amaya said nothing.

He was about to say something else, he wasn't sure what, but he stopped. Amaya's head slightly turned toward him, her eyes on the ground. "...I don't," was all she said before hurrying back into the cafe. Patrick stood there for a second unsure how to feel.

"Coulda fooled me," he mumbled in English, but sighed. He walked over to Midnight and untied her, then walked her around to the back of the cafe.

\NMM/

Patrick doubted Eliot would be able to get the parts he emailed him the day before, but sure enough, they were there. He had told Katsu about what Eliot asked and he offered his assistance, purely as a volunteer. Patrick reasoned that with two people working on it, it will be done faster, especially if he's only paying for one mechanic. Eliot didn't argue, and allowed Katsu to help him. After a week of working on the vehicle, they were starting to see some progress. The parts were in the right place, it was just a matter of getting them to work together. Patrick admitted to not be a pro, and neither was Katsu. It was like two amateur working on a a school project. It had its fun moments, and its very low moments with frustrations. The girls would take turns to come and check out their progress, and even sneak them a cookie or two, sent from Wesley.

He enjoyed working on the van. It reminded him a bit more of home. Leaving early after breakfast, telling his parents he'll be gone all day, actually being gone all day, sometimes taking Midnight with him, coming back late just after his parents were tidying up dinner, grabbing what he could then dropping into bed. It was almost exactly as it had been back home. Maybe Eliot knew about how tough he was finding it to fully feel okay here in Japan. Probably not, but it was nice to think that he actually thought of others sometimes. He was feeling better, and liked keeping busy with handy work, not to mention he had Katsu with him sometimes. It was almost perfect.

It was late Sunday and Patrick was doing tending to a few more things before calling it a day. The cafe was already emptied and the others had went home. Wesley left Patrick with some keys so that he could lock everything up when he was done. He was under to car tightening up a loose part when he heard someone clear their throat. He slid out from under the car, and was surprised to see Amaya standing there, dressed in dance gear, her hair tied back and was holding a paper bag.

"O-oh," he stammered, quickly jumping to his feet. "I-I didn't hear you come-"

"Sorry," she said simply, and held out the bag.

Patrick blushed slightly. "Y-you don't have to-"

"Sorry for...making you think I hated you," she interrupted, thrusting the bag at him again. He quickly wiped his hands on a cloth and took the bag without further argument.

"Um, thanks?" he replied, looking down at it.

"It's just a burger," she shrugged. "Something different from the usual cuisine here."

"Thanks," he said again, not really making eye-contact. "Haven't had one in awhile. My dad insists on trying to, you know, 'Do as the Romans do', and eat the food they have here." He found himself rambling, not really sure how else to act.

"Yeah, nothing beats food from home," she nodded, speaking in English.

"O-oh," Patrick said in surprise, looking up. "You're from America?" She nodded, and it was refreshing to see her face wasn't a stone-cold as it usually was. It wasn't completely open like it had been when she was playing with Midnight, but it was close enough.

There was a sudden car honk from the street, which made both of them jump. "Th-that's my ride," Amaya said, her face losing some of its openness. "I have to go."

"Right, uh, thanks again," he stammered. She nodded again then headed around the building. Patrick couldn't help but feel curious. She'd never been picked up from work before. Against his better judgement, he made his way around the side of the cafe, but on the other side. He caught side of an old car, old in both style and undertake. There was a guy standing at the driver's side of the car. _There are greasers in Japan?_ Patrick thought, taking in how he looked with his hair slicked back and his leather clothes. Amaya walked up to him, but he couldn't hear the words they exchanged as she got into the car over the roaring sound of the engine. He saw the guy lean over and kiss her, but it was cut short because she pushed him back. He looked amused as they guy drove the car down the street. Patrick had an odd feeling in his gut. Jealousy? No, that couldn't be it. He looked down at the paper bag that was grasped tightly in his hand. No, it couldn't be.

\NMM/

_AN: YES! I'm ALIVE! And so's NMM! It's ALIIIIVE! lol It's good to be back! ^^ Life has been ever changing and I've been going with flows, but it's time I got back to my own flow and find my way back to FF. And I did! Hope you liked! Let me know what you thought!_


	18. Chapter 18 When Will Mew Reflection Show

AN: Another chapter? So soon? Woo!

Chapter 18:

When Will Mew Reflection Show Who I am Inside?

Amaya was humming to herself as she mopped the floors of her apartment. She decided today was as good a day as any to get some cleaning done. Music blared from her stereo as she danced across the floor with her inanimate dance partner. Between dancing and working her jobs, she didn't really get a lot of time to herself. She preferred to keep busy, but some downtime was nice every once in awhile. Yes, she worked more than one job. The cafe with the other Mews, gigs where she was paid to perform, and a bakery, owned by an old friend. When she first moved to Japan, she didn't really know what she was doing. She didn't have a place to stay, or to make money. She just wanted to dance. She came across the bakery, and the kind owner Yu was understanding and helped her get on her feet. He was a kind elderly man, and couldn't really run the bakery by himself. He had one other part-time worker, and sometimes his son helped, but that was on occasion.

She forced thoughts of that aside, and dipped the mop in the ever-growing dirtier water. She didn't have much furniture to move before she started. Just the couch and a shelf. She liked to keep things simple. She was gone most of the day, and really didn't need that much furniture. She didn't watch TV or play video games, and saw no use for extra ornaments to hang on the wall. She couldn't really afford much either. Even though she was payed for gigs, and both her part-time jobs, between paying for this apartment, and renting out space in the dance studio (which was her real home), and taking care of herself and saving for future plans, she didn't have much to spare.

Even though she was slowly growing in fame, she didn't care about that. Her true dream was to own her own dance studio, and to help others discover their dreams and talent for dancing. Her mother wouldn't have approved. She wanted her to go for more practical things, and she almost had...Again Amaya shoved her thoughts aside. This was one downfall of having time to herself, her mind wandered to things she didn't want to think about.

She finished mopping and moved into the kitchen, and it was then that she noticed her phone blinking. She hadn't head it ring over the music pounding from her headphones. She removed them and checked for messages. There weren't any, but she recognized the number. _He called again?_, she thought, slightly annoyed. She didn't mind it really, but he seemed to call her every waking minute. Well more like every couple hours. He was border-lining possessive, but she was used to that kind of thing. She dialled his number and it only rang once before he answered.

"Heeeey, babe," he greeted.

She didn't like being called babe, but didn't say anything about it. "I was cleaning," she stated. "That's why I missed your call."

"Oh no biggie," he replied, sounding really laid back. "Was just wondering if you wanted to...hang out." She could hear the implication in his voice.

"I actually have some things to take care of," Amaya said, picking at the mop handle, "and I want to hit the studio later, but I'll be free later."

"How about I drive you around for the errands?" he suggested. "Come oooon, I wanna see you." She moved the phone away a bit as she sighed in slight annoyance. She didn't like him being like this, but what could she do? That's how he was.

"Really, I can handle it myself," she replied, being as gentle as possible with the turn down, "but I promise you will see me today." _As you do every other day,_ she thought.

"Alright, alright," he sighed, sounding annoyed. "Right after you are done dancing okay? I'll pick you up!"

"I'll text you when I'm done," she agreed. She hung up on him as he was saying bye, and dropped the phone on the table loudly, rubbing her face over her hands. _Why, why, why, why,_ she repeated to herself over and over. Why did she keep doing this to herself? Why did she keep putting herself in situations. So like this? So much stress and annoyance? So she wouldn't be alone?

Sighing, Amaya finished up mopping, and didn't bother to change out of her clothes as she got ready to go out. She had her headphones in again, and too lazy to put in her contacts she wore her glasses. She slipped on her shoes and through her hair up in a messy bun, and grabbed her bag and grocery list. As she left the apartment, she left a kiss on the only photograph she had in her apartment. The one of her mother.

\NMM/

4 Years Ago

It was raining outside, and Amaya's mother had refused to drive her to dance class, so she had made the trek there and back on her own. It was late and she was heading home from a successful dress rehearsal. She was given her first lead, and she was brimming with excitement, but shaky with nerves. The performance was tomorrow, and she had nailed it today in rehearsal. But what if she would screw up tomorrow? What if she made a fool of herself? What if she made a mistake? Her father always said that there were no mistakes, only happy accidents. She beamed, thinking that if tomorrow she did fall or mess up, she'd do so with pride and confidence, that way the only indication that she messed up would be from her fellow dancer's faces. She giggled, and jumped over a puddle.

She was coming up to the house, and was surprised to see her the backseat door to her dad's car open. She was about to close it when she heard screaming from inside her house. Her heart dropped, and stared up at the house in fear. They were at it again. She didn't wanna go in, so she sat in the car, leaving the door open. She shivered, and tried not to cry. They were always fighting. Always. Dad said it would get better, but it didn't. It got worse. Mom had thrown a plate at him once. She missed of course because she was terrible at throwing, but it still was scary.

Amara was still confused as to why the door was opened and looked around. She then noticed sitting next to her was a duffle bag. _Is dad going somewhere? _She thought, and then she was struck with fear. _No...he couldn't be._

"Leave! You get out of my house! GET OUT!" Amaya jumped out of the car, and found her feet taking her to the side of the house just as someone came bursting out the front door. Her heart was racing, and she felt her breathing coming in desperate gasps.

"Oh this makes you a man alright! Walking out on your family!" Her mother was screaming at the top of her lungs as her father bounded down the front steps and through another bag into the backseat. "I never wanna see you again! Don't you even _dare!_ Try and come back! Ever!"

She hadn't put up her umbrella again, so the rain was pouring down her face. _Come on Dad,_ she thought. _Don't leave...you said you wouldn't...you promised...Tell her! Tell her you don't wanna leave! Tell her your promise to me!_"

"I hope you're happy with that slut!" her mother continued to scream. "Hope you're happy with your _new_ family! Good job choosing her over Amaya!" Her father stopped as he opened the driver's side door. A little hope rose in Amaya's chest. _It's not true...tell her...tell me...say something!_

He didn't say anything. He through himself into the car, started it up, and zoomed out of the driveway and down the street, her mother still screaming at him all the while. She only caught a few things, "baby", "new wife", "Japan", but didn't hear anything else. Her entire world had frozen. He was gone. He didn't even try to fight to stay. He had chosen to leave. He chose some strangers over her...

She hadn't seen him again. She never wanted to see him again. Until a Halloween part 4 years later.

_"Gloria!" a male voice shouted, coming from the doorway._

_"Daddy!" the girl shouted, pulling from Amaya, and running across the chaotic room into the arms of her dad. Huh, Amaya thought. I guess he was look- She felt her heart stop, and she lost control of her breathing._

_"Oh I'm so glad you're alright," he sighed in relief._

_"She helped me," the girl said, turning to point at her. Her dad looked up with a smile, but it slowly faded. NO!, she shouted internally, keeping her face straight, and quickly making her way to the back of the Cafe. Her heart was working again, and it was racing a million miles an hour, and tears were threatening to spill over. NO!, she shouted again. No! No! She was running now, and she ran into the Staff lounge, slamming the door behind her._

_\_NMM/

Present

Aneeta walked around town checking over her list. She got most of the things she wanted, but she couldn't carry everything she wanted. She didn't want to take everything home and then go back out again. She'd have to get it another day. She decided to stop at a cafe to get something to snack on as she made the trip home, and found the closest one she could. As she walked up to the front doors, they were suddenly whipped open, and Amaya narrowly evaded getting whacked by it. _A man on a cellphone, of course_, she thought, rolling her eyes.

"Oh sorry," he quickly said as he passed by. Amaya froze when she registered who it was. _No, no, no, no,_ she kept repeating to herself. _Please, don't notice me, please-_

"Amaya?" the man had stopped. Amaya swore under her breath, but didn't turn to look at him. She didn't even move to go inside the cafe. She just stood there, staring at her groceries. He quickly signed off of his call, and looked at her. "Wow you...you've grown so much..." She wasn't sure if she could pull of her straight-faced facade, but she tried, looking in his general direction but didn't look him in the eye.

"Hi...father..," the word felt like poison in her mouth. She definitely wouldn't call him "dad" anymore.

"What are you doing in Japan?" he asked, sounding excited, and a little hopeful.

"I...live here now," she replied, glancing away. The question she was dreading was coming up. She just knew it. She didn't want to tell him. He of course didn't know, but she sure as heck didn't wanna be the one to tell him. She didn't even like to admit it herself.

"Oh really?" he asked, sounding surprised. "Well, that explains why you have groceries, but that's...great. Uh...is your..mother here too?" There it was. Amaya bit her tongue. Maybe telling wouldn't be so bad. By telling him she'd see his reaction. If he was indifferent, her hatred would probably grow, and if he showed otherwise...well she wasn't sure what she'd feel. Satisfaction? For seeing him regret what he did? Sympathy? She definitely didn't want to say anything.

"She...uh...," Amaya hesitated, unable to find the right words.

"No, it's okay," he spoke up. "Shouldn't have asked. Right. She said she never want to see me again, and I understand, me not knowing where she is probably is better." _Trust me, you'll never see her again,_ she thought, unable to say anything. It was then her phone rang, causing her to jump and nearly drop her things.

"You can get that," her dad said, looking slightly awkward. "I have to get going back to..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head. "I-it was great seeing you again Amaya..perhaps...we could..."

"I have to answer this," she said bluntly, taking out her phone, not wanting to reply to what he was asking.

"Yes of course," he nodded. He gave a small awkward wave and hurried off. Amaya sighed, thankful for the call. It was her Mew Phone, already knowing what was happening.

"Where?" she asked, moving in the opposite direction of her father.

"The subway! It's a giant worm in the subway!" Kotona shouted from the other end. "Closest station to Amaya's school."

"Coming," she stated, hanging up. She would drop off her things at Yu's bakery, then go meet them. She often dropped off her things there when she was out and needed to go help the Mews. Yu never asked why. He was just more than happy to help her out. It was only a couple blocks away from where she was so she made her way over there.

"Hey Yu!," she called out as soon as she answered. "Yu?" she said again when there was no reply. She was a bad kind of surprise when his nephew came out from the back. He almost never took shifts here.

"Hey babe," he grinned. "Didn't think you'd come in here today. You made my day."

"Well I was going to see you later anyways," she pointed out. "Is Yu here?"

"Old fart stepped out," he sighed, looking annoyed. "You know I can help you." He grinned.

"I just wanted to drop these off in the back," she stated, slipping behind the counter. She quickly made her way to the fridge and put her things inside. It was no surprise to her that he was right behind her when she turned around. He kissed her as she knew he would, and his hands started travelling over her body. She only let it go on for a few seconds before pushing herself away.

"I have to go do something," she stated, trying to pull away.

"Aw, but you just got here," he whined, kissing her neck.

"You are supposed to be working," she pointed out. "No work, and when your done text me. I'll probably not be hitting the studio today."

"Great," he grinned stupidly. She took that chance to finally slip away and leave the shop.

\NMM/

18 Months Ago

That day was so full of promise. It was Amaya and her boyfriend's year anniversary. She was so excited. It fell on a weekend, and he promised a fun day she'd never forget. He had been her first boyfriend. It took him months of constantly asking her out before she finally accepted. She was wary of dating because of her father. She didn't want to be left like she was before. So far, Kevin had been absolutely perfect to her. Brought her her homework when she was sick, talked about everything for hours on end on the phone, was supportive of her ambitions, and she his, took her out on dates, both expensive and inexpensive, but her favourites were the inexpensive because of how create he got. They were just perfect together, everyone said so, and she couldn't express how happy she was when she was with him. It was as if the world was perfect, and nothing could ever go wrong. It was this naivety that was her downfall.

She decided to take the route to the back of the school that day. It was closer to Kevin's locker and she wanted to give him his present. He liked this one band, and she managed to get him a poster of theirs, with all of the band members signatures on it. It had cost her more than she expected, but she didn't care. She knew he'd love it. She was going down the back alley right near the school when she heard giggling in a smaller alley just off of that one. She was anxious and didn't want to be seen. This was usually a place where couples came to...well you know. She and Kevin never went back there though. Perhaps if she just ran by? Yeah, they wouldn't notice her. She took a silent deep breath and readied herself to sprint by.

"Kevin," a girl giggled. Amaya heart raced, but she shook her head. _There's a ton of Kevin's in the school,_ she told herself silently. _It's a different one. It's not him. It's not yours. It's-_

"I don't see why you don't just dump Amaya already," the girl sighed. "I don't like sneaking around."

"I can't today," the all-too familiar boy voice sighed. "It's our anniversary. That'd be horrible dumping her now." Amaya lost all feeling, the poster slipped and hit the ground, startling the couple.

"Someone's there," the girl whispered. There were footsteps, but Amaya couldn't move. She was in complete denial, that was, until she saw him. The dominant emotions in his eyes was fear and disbelief. If there was regret in there she didn't bother to search any further for it. She spun on her heels and ran as fast as she could away from them. She wasn't sobbing, but her tears had fallen relentlessly.

She closed herself off after that. She had no long-term commitments, just short things with the wrong type of guy. The kind like Yu's nephew. She refused to allow herself to love again, and fought it whenever she felt the smallest hint of it. Since moving to Japan she didn't have any problems with that. Until she met him, but refused it.

_"I didn't see your ticket m-miss," someone said from beside her. "I can't let you go any farther without a ticket."_

_"I'm with the cafe," she replied looking up at him, and boy did she regret it. Their eyes locked, and she felt she wouldn't be able to tear them away. Her pulse involuntarily picked up, and her breath got caught in her chest. Not again..., she managed to think among the haze that settle upon her mind._

_"There you are Amaya!" Kita called excitedly running over to her. Amaya was now able to pull her eyes from the boy's and look down at the jumpy girl._

_"That's Patrick."_

\NMM/

Present

"It's skin is too thick!" Plum shouted, her attack failed for the third time. The worm reared and charged at her and Avious and the two of them jumped out of its reach. It took up half of the tunnel, and was over 20 feet long. It whipped its tail catching Plum's leg and throwing her against the bricked side of the tunnel.

"How are we going to kill it?" Licorice growled, stomping her feet. She was getting annoyed with it tossing everyone around and not being able to hit it.

"You have to get it from the inside," Ice stated, finally joining them.

"Oh thank god you're here," Cotton Candy sighed. "How are we gonna do that?"

"Licorice, you attack him and annoy him, so that his mouth will open when he screams," she instructed. "Avious, you attack him with your Chakrams when his mouth opens, and hit him hard. Cotton Candy you distract him for Licorice so she can get in a good shot. I'll check on Plum." They all nodded, and set to work. She wondered how they didn't see it sooner. She had hung back only a couple minutes to observe the creature and figure out what had to be done. She hurried to Plum and hel

ped her sit up.

"My arm," she huffed. "It hurts." Icing wasn't a doctor, but she recognized a sprain from a broken bone, and as she tenderly touched her shoulder, she knew it was only a sprang.

"You'll be okay," she stated. "It's not broken." The tunnel filled with an antagonized scream, but Icing didn't look. Plum was, looking stressed.

"We can't pierce it's skin," Plum huffed. "I think we need to attack it through its mouth."

"They are already on that," Icing informed.

"So you thought of it first," Plum sighed. "Some leader I am."

"No," she replied. "You were hit and practically knocked out. It's fine. You thought of it, and that's what matters." There was another scream, which was quickly silenced, followed by a sickening explosion, and ooze spraying everywhere.

"Gahhh!" Licorice screeched. "Alien worm guts!" Cotton Candy couldn't help but laugh, which caused the smaller Mew to grab a glob and through it at her. Avious side-stepped away from them so he wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

"That was the first attack in awhile," Icing stated, looking at the remains of the worm.

"Yeah," Plum sighed, scratching her head. "Why do you think they've been gone so long?"

"Why do you think they came back?" Avious asked, dodging another glob of guts.

"They obviously still haven't found what they want," Icing stated.

"I wish _we_ knew what they were looking for," Plum said. "If it's not too much of a bother we could just give it to them."

"I doubt they'd go through all this trouble and destruction looking for something harmless," Icing explained, just as a glob of guts hit her arm. Cotton Candy and Licorice stopped dead, both covered with the stuff, and stared in fear. Icing acted as if she didn't notice, but she did. She kept herself from shivering in disgust.

"Well, if that's all," she said, turning on her heels and heading back toward the manhole cover she came down. Her heels clicked on the floor loudly as they others watched.

"I'm sorry," she barely heard Licorice whisper before being hit. "I said I'm sorry!" Icing didn't turn back to look at them. She guessed she and Cotton Candy had gotten into another little squabble. She sighed as she climbed out onto the surface, her clothes changing to normal. She didn't mind fighting the aliens, but knowing why would be nice. Sure she knew she was protecting Japan, and the rest of Earth, but she'd like to know why they were attacking herself. Of course that would be too easy. She quickly wiped off the goop with a shutter, and shook to get the grossed out feelings out of her system. She sighed once more and ran her hands over her face, before making her way back to the bakery.

\NMM/

Amaya was sitting in his car, staring out the window, bored and annoyed. It was pouring rain outside. They were supposed to see a movie, but the particular one he wanted to see wasn't playing, and he was throwing a real fit about it. She pay much attention to his rant, her mind was thinking about other things. How she hated rain for one. Held too many bad memories for her. She was quickly brought out of her frittering thoughts when a hand touched her leg, caressing it.

"Something on your mind?" he smirked, rubbing her leg lightly.

"No, I'm fine," she replied, removing his hand. "So what now? We gonna go see something else, or get something to eat?"

"Or...," he started, leaning closer. "We could stay right here."

Amaya knew what he was thinking, and tried to stay calm. "I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat."

"We can go later," he replied, kissing her, and practically climbing on top of her. After a few minutes of him kissing her, she managed to pull her lips away, but his travelled over her cheek.

"Um, can we got eat now? Like seriously?" she asked, becoming annoyed.

"Oh come on babe," he chuckled. "We got time."

"I _really_ don't wanna do this right now," she huffed, pushing at him to get off.

"What's your problem?" he demanded, glaring at her. "You never wanna do anything!"

"Yeah, I wanna go eat," she snapped, glaring back. "Now come on and drive."

"What if I don't want to?" he asked in a dangerous tone, and his hand travelled to and unwanted place. The next thing she knew, her fist came into contact with his face and he was leaning back holding his nose.

"You...you..." he was staring at her in bewilderment, then it slowly changed to anger. Amaya was thankful she hadn't put on her seat belt yet as she pushed open the door and threw herself out, his hand just missing her. She booked it out of the parking lot, her heart racing in fear. The high heels didn't slow her down as she raced down the street. She looked over her shoulder and regretted it. It had thrown her off balance, and she slipped hitting the ground hard. She was then yanked to her feet roughly and she screamed. She was silenced when metal touched her neck.

"I'll kill you if you make another sound," he threatened. The fact that she was a Mew and would totally kick his butt didn't even cross her mind. Her mind and heart were racing, purely running on fear and adrenaline. It was just her, him, and the knife. She for once didn't know what to do. She felt completely and utterly helpless. She was now cold and wet from the rain, and shivered but mostly from fear. He pulled her into a nearby alley and held her against the wall with the knife at her throat.

"Now," he whispered, looking down at her, his face slightly red from her attack. "Where were we?" She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of her tears, but they were hard to control. She did her best not to sob, keeping her eyes shut not wanting to look at him.

Suddenly the weight of him was gone and her legs couldn't hold her up, so she fell to the ground. There was a shout and then a couple loud noises Eyes stinging, she looked around in confusion. He was on the ground, unconscious, and the knife several feet away from him. Was he dead? Standing over him was another guy. She looked away, not really knowing what to think or say, she just sat on the ground until he came over and knelt beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, taking off his jacket. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head, meaning it for the second question. "I-I'm...fine," she replied, holding back the tears that now threatened to spill. It was slowly dawning on her that she was safe. This guy had come to her rescue, and saved her from the horrible things that could have happened. She was just so, so relieved.

"A...Amaya?" the boy asked after putting the jacket around her shoulders. Amaya's head snapped up in surprise, eyes wide mouth hanging open. It was Patrick. Her usual composure was gone. Her eyes glowing with expression, her face showing no signs of stiffness nor any attempt to hide what she was feeling. Patrick had to admit seeing her like this scared him, but not so much as seeing that guy with the knife at her throat. She then through herself into his arms and began sobbing against his chest. Patrick was now bewildered. He'd never been in a situation like this, nor did he ever he'd see Amaya like this.

"I was...so scared," she hiccuped, holding him tightly.

His arms went around her and held her tightly. "Your safe now," he whispered, sighing. They couldn't stay here, not with that guy still laying there. With uncertainty, he picked her up in his arms and slowly got to his feet. He never realized how small she really was. Her confidence and grace made her look so different, but now she looked helpless and tiny. He carried her out of the alleyway,away from further danger, and down the street.

\NMM/

10 Months Ago

Amaya sat quietly in the car with her mother. She was driving her to her entrance exams. She was going to school for journalism. She would have preferred creative writing but her mother said that journalism would be better, and there were journalists who also wrote novels. Above all else she wanted to pursue her dancing, but her mom wouldn't hear any of it. She said it wasn't a practical career choice. So she was applying to college like her mother wanted. Ever since her dad had left she had been harder on her, trying to get her to do something more academic, more "realistic" with her life. She loved her mom, but sometimes she felt like there was just a distance between them, some kind of disconnection, and she felt her mom could never truly understand what dancing meant to her. Even if it was unrealistic.

Her mother had asked her something; something she didn't catch. She was about to ask her to repeat it, but she had blacked out. Well, there were other things that happened before then, but it all happened so fast. The car was jarred to one side, the the ground was above them, then below, then above again. Her ears were filled with most unpleasant sounds, and that was the last thing she remembered before the black out.

She awoke quite some time later to an annoying beeping noise. Her aunt was with her, and for the next week, many things that were told and shown to her didn't sink in. She had seen her mother's dead body, went to the funeral, and watched her being buried, and had doctors, the few family members she had, and even her friends talk to her. It didn't truly sink in that her mother, and her future in journalism had been taken away in mere minutes, for at least another week, and she wept for days. She did feel guilty, however, for not wanting to honour her mother's wishes, and continue to pursue that career path. But she was finally free to do what she wanted. She was free to dance.

\NMM/

Present

"Here," Patrick said, handing Amaya her third cup of tea. He had brought her back to his place, because she didn't want to go to hers, and didn't know where else to take her. They were both fully dry now, and sitting on the floor in his room. Amaya was wearing a pair of his pyjamas and wrapped in a blanket. Though she was not cold anymore, she was still shivering. She still couldn't believe it. She knew he was bad, yet she still hung out with him. She'd been unintelligent before, but this was below stupid.

While she was mentally scolding herself for the nth time, Patrick was sitting a little uneasily near her. For one his parent's didn't know she was here. His father had gone out and his mom was working. He'd also never had a girl in his room before, or in his clothes, or sit like this with him. She had cried a lot, and spoken about a lot of things too. It was like a floodgate opened, and she just kept talking and talking, but he listened to her. He listened to all she intently, getting her more tissues and tea whenever she needed it.

"Thank you," she whispered, breathing in the smell of her drink.

"I-it's no problem," he replied, looking down at his floor.

"I can't...can't believe I...I could have kicked his ass," she sighed.

"Stop beating yourself up about it," he insisted. "Really, you're safe now."

She nodded, knowing she'd go in circles again with her self-negativity for the nth time and just sipped her tea again. "I'm sorry if I inconvenience you."

"N-no it's alright," he half smiled. "My parents don't know you're here is all."

"Oh, should I leave then?" she asked, looking apologetic.

"No that's fine," he replied a little hasty. "I mean...it's still raining out. You'll get wet again. Uh, you could..stay here...if you wanted."

"That is a nice offer," Amaya replied, smiling a little, "but I'd be taking your bed from you."

"Oh, it's no problem," Patrick insisted. "A night on the floor won't kill me. Wouldn't be the first time. Used to fall asleep in my neighbour's barn sometimes."

"Must have been nice," she wondered, sipping her tea. "To ride horses and stuff."

"Yeah it's great," he nodded.

"I've never ridden one," she admitted, looking at her steam cup.

"M-maybe one day you will...," he replied, a little awkwardly.

"Yeah, maybe," she smiled.


End file.
